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PEOPLE /ARTS Thursday 9 November 2017
Female directors are ready to topple an ignoble Oscar stat

This combination photo shows, from left, Patty Jenkins, who directed “Wonder Woman,” Kathryn Bigelow, who directed “Detroit,” Greta Gerwig, who directed “Lady
Bird,” and Dee Rees, who directed “Mudbound.”
Associated Press
By JAKE COYLE possible nominees for best professor Martha Lauzen, tender documentary of a new film from 89-year-old
AP Film Writer picture and for best direc- author of the San Diego her father, the playwright Agnes Varda, the Belgian-
NEW YORK (AP) — Four. tor. State study. "Typically, a Arthur Miller (set to air next born filmmaking legend
It's one of the most glar- While Hollywood has been few high-profile individuals year) and Angela Robin- who was one of the lead-
ing numbers in Academy overrun with the Harvey can skew our perceptions son's Wonder Woman ori- ing directors of the French
Awards history. That's how Weinstein scandal and the about how members of a gin story "Professor Marston New Wave. Her road-trip
many women have been harsh light it has thrown on certain group are faring and the Wonder Women." odyssey "Faces Places," co-
nominated for best director widespread gender imbal- but result in little, if any, sub- It's worth noting that both directed with the street art-
in the awards' 89 years of ances throughout the in- stantial change. This year "Detroit" and "Professor ist JR, took Cannes' docu-
existence. Kathryn Bigelow, dustry, movie screens na- could prove to be unique Marston" were released by mentary award, and it has
for "The Hurt Locker" in 2010, tionwide have been aglow in that nerves regarding this Megan Ellison's Annapurna since ranked among the
is the only woman to win. with ambitious films by issue are raw." Pictures, one of the few most celebrated movies of
"I have to say it really bums female directors who are Long before hundreds of female-led powerhouse the year.
me out," says Greta Ger- beating the odds stacked women began coming for- production companies in Varda, who will be given an
wig, whose solo directorial against them. ward with allegations of sex- Hollywood. honorary Oscar at this Sat-
debut, "Lady Bird," opened Oscar nominations won't ual harassment and assault Robinson, noting the re- urday's Governors Awards,
last week in limited release. change the overwhelming against Weinstein, director cord-setting box office for has long been an inspira-
"Every year I see the list maleness of the industry, James Toback, producer Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" tional figure to generations
of people who are in the where greenlighting ex- Brett Ratner and many oth- (its $821.8 million worldwide of female filmmakers who
running for best director. ecutives, top agents and ers, 2017 has been a movie gross is the most for a movie have come after her. "The
Kathryn Bigelow got in — academy members (de- year in many ways defined directed by a woman) has Queen," Gerwig calls her.
that's one. Every year they spite recent efforts to re- by female filmmakers. Big- felt a hint of change is in "I hear that. I love that," says
nominate five guys. Ev- shape membership) remain elow, who thought her Os- the air. Varda. "I say: Be inspired by
ery year. And four women overwhelmingly male. The car win would lead to some "I do feel like there's some me about cinema, not be-
have been nominated in discrepancy is particularly industry change, released give. Usually I feel like I'm cause I'm a woman. Try to
the history of the Academy pronounced behind the her powerful race riot banging against a rock be radical.
Awards. That's ridiculous. camera, where women docudrama "Detroit." Sofia wall," says Robinson. "I do Try to be daring. Don't
And it pisses me off." comprised only seven per- Coppola, one of the four feel that there is a kind of make the prototype. I've
This year, those lists may be cent of directors on the 250 ever nominees (Lina Wert- energy and a kind of gal- tried different things, differ-
different — or, at least, it will highest-grossing domestic muller and Jane Campion vanizing anger happen- ent styles, trying to investi-
be especially confounding releases in 2016, accord- are the others), became ing that's demanding that gate what cinema can do.
if they aren't. ing to an annual study by just the second woman to there be more representa- I try each time to say: Can
Gerwig's sharply observed the Center for the Study of win the directing prize at tion of voices." I still learn something from
coming-of-age tale "Lady Women in Television and the Cannes Film Festival Rees, whose breakout images and sound? So I get
Bird," for one, is among the Film at San Diego State Uni- (another cinema institution film "Pariah" was about a very excited about being a
most acclaimed films of the versity. with a poor track record 17-year-old lesbian African- filmmaker."q
year. Patty Jenkins' summer That's two percentage of gender balance) for her American woman com-
sensation "Wonder Wom- points less than in 1998. point-of-view-flipping Civil ing to terms with her iden-
an" was a runaway hit with But as the "OscarsSoWhite" War drama "The Beguiled." tity, believes awareness for
both audiences and critics. protest of recent years But there have been many gender imbalance in the
Next week, Dee Rees will has shown, the Academy more, too, including the as- industry has increased but
release her Sundance Film Awards can throw a spot- tonishing festival selection the day-to-day reality is still
Festival hit, the Mississippi light on wider industry in- "The Rider" by Chloe Zhao very much "a work in prog-
period drama "Mudbound." equality. (Sony Pictures Classics will ress."
Handicapping for March's "The severe gender im- release it next year), Ange- "Until it's a non-story, you
Academy Awards is early, balance strikes me as a lina Jolie's intimate Cam- know we're not there yet,"
but each — particularly source of considerable bodian genocide drama said Rees.
Gerwig and "Lady Bird" — potential embarrassment (Cambodia's Oscar sub- It's especially fitting that
is considered among the for the academy," said film mission), Rebecca Miller's this year has also brought