The last time a woman was nominated for a best director Oscar was in 2003 before blogs and way before Women & Hollywood.
I wanted to take the opportunity to hear the voices of women directors themselves as to what Kathryn Bigelow’s nomination means to them as women working in the business.
Here are the comments of the ones who responded (women directors- we can keep adding to the piece so send you comments my way, anytime.) Thank you all for sharing your thoughts.
Participants included (in alphabetical order): Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees); Rachel Feldman (Lizzie Maguire, Sisters); Rhianon Elan Gutierrez (When I’m Not Alone); Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, Yoo Hoo Mrs. Goldberg); Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, Talk to Me); Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water); Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry, Stop Loss); Faith Pennick (Silent Choices)
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Kathryn’s stunning film and deserved DGA win and Oscar nomination puts an exclamation point on a mantra that should be carved onto every studio executive’s desk. “Talent has no gender!” She inspires by doing, and doing it well.
Rachel Feldman
This year, the DGA awards were a big win for women. Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman ever to win the DGA Best Director Feature Award for THE HURT LOCKER. Lesli Linka Glatter won for episodic television directing for her episode of MAD MEN. And Allison Liddi-Brown won in the children’s category for Disney Channel movie, PRINCESS PROTECTION PROGRAM.
This is hugely meaningful to me and I hope is the start of a modern, boot-up to the very strange boys club that is Hollywood.
Kathryn directed a brilliant film that stayed with me and worked on many levels. I’m thrilled that she won the DGA award, that a woman finally won and I hope that this success, along with the other female wins, brings with it a sea change for women behind the camera.
France is implementing a new law requiring all large companies to employ at least 40% women to their executive ranks. I believe that we must mandate change as well. Kathryn, Lesli and Allison deserve all of this and more, but so do thousands of other talented and deserving women whose livelihoods and voices are stifled by ridiculously antiquated gender discrimination, much of which is subconscious.
Rhianon Elan Gutierrez
I think that Kathryn’s nomination and strong contention for the actual award is a huge step for women, but what bothers me is that I’m reading articles that are talking about the battle of the exes…James Cameron versus Kathryn. Can’t they just be who they are without the media playing out some epic battle of the sexes showdown? Though I am not fond of how they’ll likely be drawing attention to Kathryn and the Oscars this way, I see the publicity as a major boost to female filmmakers everywhere to contribute their perspectives on Kathryn’s nomination and likely win. Women are intelligent creators who are capable of making a film that is raw, emotional, gripping, and transformative.
I am happy to see a woman succeeding in an industry that often has them acting as objects of sexual fascination rather than intellectual and creative power. Short-term, a win for Kathryn will mean that women have pushed themselves up in the ranks as worthy and capable directors, but what I am really looking forward to long-term is the win of a minority female director–because directors come in all abilities, colors, and genders. I am a triple minority director (female, biracial, and hard of hearing), and I know that what young people really want is to see themselves represented–not all those people are white males! In seeking the comments of other women regarding Bigelow’s nomination, it’s important to realize that there are many barriers that still need to be shattered–the strongest being the underrepresentation of people with disabilities in the Hollywood film industry. To be included in technical roles on a production or to act in the same stereotypical, melodramatic supporting roles is, to be blunt, demeaning towards the abilities of people with disabilities. It is not enough. I want to see the most marginalized person in society: the disabled, nonwhite female be a winner for a film that appeals to large audiences.
How can this happen?
Double and triple minority female directors must be visible. The industry must welcome diversity, but not for diversity’s sake–but because those who work within it truly do recognize and value the talents of people of color with many abilities.
Thumbs up if Kathryn wins, but us women still have a ways to go to support the growth of all minority groups.
In the words of anarchist Emma Goldman: “No real social change has been brought about without a revolution…revolution is but thought carried into action.”
Aviva Kempner
Kathryn Bigelow winning would be like 1947 when Jackie Robinson integrated baseball. We share the documentary directing world and 2010 should the year we begin to be awarded for our feature film skills.
Kasi Lemmons
Kathryn does not know how much of a source of strength and inspiration she’s been and continues to be for me personally. Not just because she’s a powerful film director who happens to be a woman, working in genres dominated by men, but because she refuses to be limited by other people’s perceptions of her.
She has said, “If there’s specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies.”
In that spirit I will say, I’m thrilled that Katherine Bigelow and her brilliant, shattering film, The Hurt Locker, have been recognized by the DGA and the Academy, but I’m not surprised. It only reaffirms my conviction that obstacles are meant to be ignored, barriers meant to be broken, and excellence will rise to the top.
Congratulation, Katherine!
Tia Lessin
Kathryn Bigelow’s nomination is huge and inspiring, but don’t forget that in the documentary feature category, more than a dozen female directors have been nominated for an Oscar, and at least a couple of female directors have won, most notably one of my heroes Barbara Kopple who won TWO academy awards. Here are the female directors nominated in the feature documentary category over the past decade (hope I haven’t left anyone off…)
· Long Night’s Journey into Day – Deborah Hoffmann
· Children Underground – Edet Belzberg
· LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton – Deborah Dickson and Susan Frömke
· Born into Brothels –Zana Briski
· Tupac: Resurrection –Lauren Lazin
· Deliver Us from Evil – Amy Berg
· Jesus Camp – Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
· My Country, My Country –Laura Poitras
· War/Dance –Andrea Nix
· The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) – Ellen Kuras
· Trouble the Water –Tia Lessin
Kimberly Peirce
It’s a step forward anytime a woman gets a chance to direct good material, directs well, or is recognized for her efforts, whether for a nomination or a win. I hope that continues. Katherine’s win at the DGA is already a huge step forward. If she were to be the first woman to win the best director Oscar this year, when she has made an excellent film and been recognized for her achievement, it would be a win for a friend and a colleague as well as a win for all of us directors as it reminds people that women are excellent directors, capable of making fantastic films in every genre.
Faith Pennick
I think Kathryn Bigelow’s Best Director Oscar nomination–and the indications that she is the frontrunner to win–means everything and nothing at the same time.
I love “The Hurt Locker” so it’s great that the film, and Bigelow’s sublime direction of it, is being recognized by AMPAS, especially when the film is far from being a box-office blockbuster. No one can say plausibly that this is a “political” choice, or that it’s “time” for a woman to win Best Director (although it’s been “time” for a LONG time!). Bigelow simply made the best film of 2009, and will likely be rewarded for that.
But…even if Bigelow does win Best Director (as well as a Best Picture Oscar as producer), I don’t know what really changes if anything in the way Hollywood studios operate. Men will continue to own the “auteur” mantle and get greenlit to direct studios projects far more than women. Women who want to direct feature films will still have to come up through the indie ranks. Bigelow herself is considered an anomaly among women directors, in that she typically directs “guy’s films” that have a lot of action and/or violence and feature brawny male leads, which is probably playing a part in why everyone is going ga-ga over “The Hurt Locker,” as opposed to “An Education” or “Bright Star.” Also, let me say that I have NO PROBLEM with a woman director helming films that would typically be associated with her male peers. Bigelow and other filmmakers like Mary Harron and Mimi Leder built careers on bucking “chick flicks” and I say good on them. No one questioned Martin Scorsese for directing “The Age of Innocence.”
But veiled sexism is the conundrum that remains, in and outside of Hollywood. The fact that we STILL have to talk about and combat the double standard of what being a “female director” even means is proof the even if Bigelow wins in March, history will be made but the road will still be long for us.
And let’s not forget that she could lose the Oscar, more than likely to her “king-of-the-world” ex-husband, which would be the epitome of irony.
From an unabashed member of TEAM BIGELOW
I love Faith Pennick’s point about Scorcese and the Age of Innocence. And it’s great to read statement’s like Rhianon Elan Gutierrez’s “Women are intelligent creators who are capable of making a film that is raw, emotional, gripping, and transformative.” Is it sad that this statement does seem revelatory and amazing to see in print? Yes–but like the Planned Parenthood commercial for the Superbowl with two ex athletes vouching for women–I guess we have to keep announcing the obvious until it is a given and not a shock. Can’t wait to hear what more director’s have to say!
How wonderful to hear from some of my favorite directors.
I’m reminded of the quote by James Baldwin:
“I am what time, circumstance, history, have made of me, certainly, but I am also, much more than that. So are we all.”
Let’s hope that someone other than a white guy wins this year!
Great to get the perspectives.
Thank you for these insightful perspectives, I can’t wait to read more on the topic.
Honestly, while I love and adore Hurt Locker (one of the only films I actually got see in the theatre last year) I am of two minds on what this nod means. Does it mean that you can only win or even get a chance of winning by playing it like the guys (which is what Bigelow’s carrier has always been) (and all the more kudos to her for that),?
I mean this in no disrespectful way to Ms. Bigelow, but to me part of the problem for women working in cinema has been that the topics they choose are often not valued by the critics, industry and even our society by large.
By highlighting a film that, while thought-provoking and emotionally gripping, is still essentially an action thriller, a genre that is usually aimed at male audience and often (as in the case of Hurt Locker) has very few female characters, the Academy seems to reaffirm that it is not interested in Women’s Cinema. (For the lack of a better term.)
I really wish they would nominate more women just so that one wouldn’t have to read so much into it when they nominate one every decade, or so.
You make a good point, Milla, and people have been having that discussion since the film was released.
I think it’s certainly true that part of the acclaim she’s been able to get in spite of being a female filmmaker is that she makes what are generally thought of as men’s films. Either way, the attention she’s gotten from this movie will do wonders for her career and certainly open more doors for women who choose to make any kind of film they like.
I just rewatched Kathryn Bigelow being interviewed by Charlie Rose, back in June last year. In his introduction he referred to her as one of our “most innovative and skilled directors”. Then he said, “Her work often explores conventionally masculine themes: violence, power and character”. I went “What?” to myself. And replayed that bit. Because I believe that, especially for filmmakers who are feminists, ‘violence, power and character’ are also ‘conventionally feminine’ themes. Am I wrong?
As great as it is that Bigelow is getting this level of recognition thus giving sufficient oxygen to female directors the overall issue is that at the end of the day her film, pretty much like all her others, wasn’t a commercial success and that gives me pause that her victories will change anything meaningful.
The fact that Kathryn has worked within the action genre, not romantic comedies or period pieces, for nearly three decades and never had a bonafide hit is precisely what, I feel, contributed to her and other female directors not being given the same number of diverse opportunities as their male counterparts and whilst the industry may love THL enough to reward it over AVATAR come March the bottom line is that it made $12 million in it’s total gross thus still giving us the unfortunate trend that when women directors are given non women-centric films to make the mass audiences don’t turn up.
In the end it’s all about money.
Christine Lahti won on oscar for directing liberman in love, so I have no clue why they are saying this woman would the the FIRST female to win for directing. Could someone please explain that to me?
-thanks
I just had to —
DEATH OF PRICKS
Bigelow won the Academy Award,
All the rest of you are all just little pricks.
She took home that tremendous-looking cock;
It made her shine like a 12-inch dick.
Katherine showed her gonads to the world,
And now the Universe has proof of it.
Female Visions will stick in people’s brains and souls,
And there’s nothing you pricks can do about it!
By Paula Zimmerman-Taylor
March 10, 2010