By Claire. 

2018 is a new year, and with it, I have decided to take on the 52 Films By Women pledge. Started by Women in Film Los Angeles in 2015, the pledge aims to increase awareness of female made film by asking its pledges to watch one film directed by a woman each week for a year. This is something we have loved the idea of, but have never had the time to fully commit to. However, there is no time like the present!

Here at Cause a Cine, I am going to alter the rules a bit and include films written or directed by women. As I continue my journey into screenwriting, I found it fit to include female screenwriters as well, and increase visibility of female filmmakers across all fronts. 

As we are well aware, women in film are severely underrepresented. In Women and Hollywood's yearly round of up statistics for 2017, it was found out of the top-grossing films from 2007 to 2017, 95.7% of directors were male, and 4.3% were female. This equates to twenty two male directors hired for every one female director. Of these women, out of 1,100 films, four were directed by Black women, three by Asian women, and only one Latina director. Despite being a record year for female directors in 2017 (Of course, by "record year" we mean eight films out of the top 100 films of the year were directed by women, but this is an increase from the year previous), there are zero women nominated for Best Director of a Motion Picture at tomorrow's Golden Globes. While Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird is nominated for Best Film Musical or Comedy, there is no nomination for Gerwig herself as director. 

By making a pledge like this, we can help increase the number of films created by women which are made visible, and in turn, help encourage more female writers and directors to be hired in future. 

I will be cataloging my pledge on Twitter (@causeacine), and updating weekly here on the blog. 

You can sign up to the pledge on the Women In Film website here, or check out an amazing list of female directed films on GoWatchIt here. You might have seen more films directed by women than you realise. 

---

52 FILMS BY WOMEN - 2018 

Week 1: Everything Everything (2017), directed by Stella Meghie.

Week 2: Dirty Dancing (1987), written by Eleanor Bergstein.

Week 3: The Kids Are Alright (2010), directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Week 4: Lady Bird (2017), written and directed by Greta Gerwig

Week 5: Obvious Child (2014), written and directed by Gillian Robespierre

By Claire.

Small town Western Australia, 1965. The bright and inquisitive Charlie Bucktin is woken in the middle of the night by the town’s mixed-race outcast, Jasper Jones. Begging for help, Jasper lures Charlie to a clearing in the bush on the outskirts of town to find a sinister end for local girl Laura Wishart. Charlie is thus whisked into a whirlwind of mystery and secrecy, as he tries to find out who killed this girl. Three kids swept up into a complicated adult world, Jasper Jones is the ultimate young Australian gothic, and one of the best Australian films I have ever seen.

Prior to university, when I thought of Australian film I thought of the low calibre, ocker and subversive. This perception was founded on too many viewings of Round the Twist, and little actual knowledge of Australian film. Here’s the thing, though: Australia can make great films, of high calibre - they just occur few and far between.

(left to right) Angourie Rice as Eliza Wishart, Aaron L. McGrath as Jasper Jones and Levi Miller as Charlie Bucktin

Directed by Rachel Perkins, Jasper Jones is an example of the standard that Australian films can demonstrate. What Perkins achieves, and sets the film apart, is a deep understanding and respect not only for the text, but for Australian stories. This level of respect is something last year’s Joe Cinque’s Consolation fell short of achieving. Both stories of crime, both adapted from books, but both with vastly different outcomes. In an article for The Guardian, James Robert Douglas argues the issue with Joe Cinque’s Consolation was that the author of the book, Helen Garner, wasn’t involved in the adaption. Based on a true story, instead of a straight adaption of Garner’s investigation, director and writer Sotiris Dounoukos chose to dramatise the events of Joe Cinque’s murder, in a way which had myself and others in the cinema cringing, not gasping. Harsh words, but the film had a distinct aura of not taking itself seriously. This could be due to it being Dounoukos’ first feature, or a lack of understanding as deep as only Garner’s investigative reporting and writing can provide. 

On the other hand, there is Jasper Jones. Adapted from the Australian modern classic by Craig Silvey, Silvey was primary writer on the screenplay and actively on set every day, keeping a close eye on the adaption and providing support as a person who knew the story. In addition, as revealed at the Cinema Nova Q&A, what eventually led producers Vincent Sheehan and David Jowsey to choose Perkins for the role of director was her deep understanding of the book. What results is a story taken seriously and filled with intricate details, and a film that hits the mark, spot on.

Charlie and Jasper confronting Mad Jack Lionel in Jasper Jones

This successful inclusion of the author is also the case for The Dressmaker. Directed by Jocelyn Moorehouse and based on the book by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker opened at #1 in the Australian box office - no small feat in a culture which often overlooks Australian film for the latest US blockbuster. Unlike Silvey, Ham did not write the screenplay for the adaption of her book, but early interviews indicate she was active in the production.

Like Jasper Jones, The Dressmaker is a mid-century Australian gothic set in a small town. In the hands of any other directors both films could have fallen into the all-too-familiar pit of the ocker and larrikin typical of many Australian male directors, as evident in the absurdly successful Crocodile Dundee in the 1980s and ever-present in Australian films ever since. The effect this has had on Australian films is the notion of cultural cringe, parodies of Australian life, as if the filmmakers are embarrassed of telling an Australian story. Perkins and Moorehouse avoid this, though, and tell Australian stories with heart. Perhaps this is due to them being women. The ocker and its ties to Crocodile Dundee is a masculine perspective, whereas women are not included in this identity. The ocker does not influence their style, and thus female directors offer a fresh perspective for Australian screens.

(left to right) Judy Davis, Sarah Snook and Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker

This is not to say Australian men can’t make beautiful films, such as Simon Stone’s The Daughter and Garth Davis’ Lion, but the perception of ockerness persists. The inclusion of female directors gives a fresh, more serious point of view to Australian cinema. Due to being outside of the traditional Australian identity, female directors know how to make a good film, as they aren’t bound to Australia’s history of the ocker and the subversive. Of course, this is improving, with Screen Australia’s Gender Matters initiative, and active conversations happening around the country and throughout the industry. Women need to be given more opportunities to tell stories, because time and time again these films have shown what should define the Australian film industry.


Jasper Jones is out in cinemas March 2nd.

--
Cause a Cine do not own any images used in this post.

By Claire. 

Hailee Steinfeld in her Golden Globe nominated performance as Nadine.

If you’re anything like me, you most likely have Stevie Nick’s classic 'Edge of Seventeen' in your head right now. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, Edge of Seventeen's association (intentional or not) to Nicks’ song of teenage romance and self-discovery is not far off base.

Fremon Craig’s latest feature is a magnificent feat for the teen film genre. Screening at Toronto Film Festival, the film has received rave reviews, some even going so far as to call it an “instant teen classic”. A self-proclaimed teen film enthusiast, I will admit, I remained skeptical throughout the film; asking myself “where is the iconic fashion statements, the plethora of new lingo to add to the teen’s everyday vernacular?” But by the time the credits rolled, I got it.

Starring a cleverly hilarious and convincing Hailee Steinfeld, Edge of Seventeen has a simple plot: Excruciatingly awkward high school Junior Nadine’s (Steinfeld) life comes crashing down when her best, and only friend Krista (Hayley Lu Richardson) starts dating her older, annoyingly perfect older brother Darien (played by Blake Jenner, who, since Glee, can no longer pass as a high schooler). What extends from this, however, is a tale of heartbreak. After the passing of her father four years prior, Krista is the only one who Nadine feels like she can depend on. Her mother Mona (Kyra Sedgwick) struggles to understand her, and her brother only cares about himself. The emotions which ensue, from all characters, are what make the film.

It is a common saying in which going to the cinema and watching a movie is like being transported to another place. While I sat in the plush velvet chairs, one hand a constant rotation from the popcorn box and my mouth between sips of frozen coke, I was transported back to my seventeen year old self. Brought to life from Fremon Craig’s script by an excellent Steinfeld, Nadine’s deeply rooted awkwardness, self-deprecation, dramatics and self-absorption perfectly capture what it’s like to be a seventeen-year-old girl, especially an insecure one.

Nadine (Steinfeld) and Krista (Robertson) mid-crisis.

Equipped with an “old soul” and awkward personality, Nadine declared herself an unlovable outsider a long time ago. Hunched over the toilet bowl after one too many orange soda and vodka cocktails, she reveals to us that her biggest fear is having to live with herself, whom she sees no appeal in. This genuine sadness is inescapable to Nadine. So, when Nadine’s only friend starts to show interest in other people, in being with the older brother she deems so perfect, it’s understandable to feel her betrayal (if not a little selfish and maybe a smidge irrational). She gets by with frankness, biting wit, and spending lunchtimes with her history teacher, something I understand all too well (Class of 2013 Teachers Pet right here!). In the company of Nadine, there is a touching moment with her mother, Mona, battling herself with the decision between over-bearing and trust while composing a text to her daughter, and a heartfelt reconciliation between brother and sister, who begin to finally understand each other.

Let us not be fooled, along with the hard-hitting emotional journeys, this film is funny. Stand outs include Woody Harrelson's classic deadpan delivery as Nadine's trusted history teacher Mr Bruner and Nadine’s classmate Erwin Kim (Hayden Szeto), who's nervous attempts at flirting with her had me cackling. What I liked most about this character is his ability to call out Nadine's bullshit (she's an asshole!) and his understanding of his own self-worth.

Movies about teenage girls are hard to pull off, and due to their complexity, the characters often come across as catty shallow bitches. What Fremon Craig demonstrates as screenwriter and director is the importance of women writing about girls and women to break down these stereotypes. Of course, the legendary John Hughes did well with representing teens, but two the most important and iconic teen films for teenage girls, Clueless and Mean Girls, were written and directed by women—the great Amy Heckerling (Clueless) and Tina Fey (Mean Girls). It is these films which continue to live on, because teenage and young adult women see themselves in the characters, and feel connected to the stories. They both demonstrate an authenticity that only women can bring to the table, which is especially important for teen girls, who crave accurate representation. 

Edge of Seventeen may not be an instant sleepover classic like Clueless or Mean Girls, as it perhaps may be a bit too heavy for that, but I'm sure it will endure, and help girls like myself, who identify or identified with Nadine, to find peace with themselves.

Edge of Seventeen is out now in cinemas.

Hailee Steinfeld is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy at today's Golden Globes. She is the only nominee in any of the film acting categories to have been directed by a woman. 

--

Cause a Cine do not own any images used in this post.

By Claire



It’s time to talk about one of the biggest trailblazing female directors of today: Ava DuVernay. 

In 2012, DuVernay was the first African-American woman to win Best Director at Sundance Film Festival for her film Middle of Nowhere. In 2015, she was one of the only female directors nominated for an Academy Award, for the civil rights film Selma, which was nominated for Best Picture.

In addition to her directing, DuVernay uses her prominence, and filmmaking, as a way to promote stories and people of colour.  

Earlier this year, DuVernay announced ARRAY, an organisation dedicated to the distribution and aid of independent films by people of colour, and women. Born out of the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement (AFFRM), which released two films a year, ARRAY now expands to an added focus to women, and distributing more films on the art house festival circuits and streaming platforms.  

Along with ARRAY, DuVernay continues to spearhead inclusive stories with Queen Sugar, an upcoming television series produced by DuVernay and the one and only Oprah Winfrey for Oprah’s OWN Network. The series is an adaption for the book of the same name by Natalie Baszile, and tells the story of two sisters who have moved back to Louisiana to claim their inheritance of their recently deceased father, a large sugarcane farm. She is the writer, producer and director of the series, and she vows every epsiode will be directed by a woman. You can view the trailer for Queen Sugar below.

Another trailblazing project is the recent announcement that Ava DuVernay will be directing Disney’s upcoming film A Wrinkle in Time, making her the first woman of colour to be directing a $100 million film.

Here at Cause a Cine, we like to promote intersectionality, which is why I love Ava DuVernay so much. What she is doing for people of colour, women of colour, and women in general, is beyond compare. Her vision and drive bring to the forefront talented women and people of colour into the industry and every project she works on. What we must never lose sight of is, as hard as it is for women in the film/entertainment industry, it is even harder for women of colour. 

Ava DuVernay continues to close this gap and focus on inclusion, and I am so excited to follow her journey.

--

Cause a Cine do not own any pictures or videos used in this post.

By Claire

It's why were all here, really, but female directors are seldom talked about in mainstream media. In effect, the more casual viewer often say to me that they do not know of many women directors. Even in one of my cinema studies classes last year, students, too, had trouble making a list of female directors. 

I stumbled across this list of essential films by female filmmakers last year, and as a budding women in film activist, more titles surprised me than I would care to admit. 

When you really think about it, you may have seen more female-directed movies than you know:

Across the Universe (2007)

Directed by Julie Taymor

The Matrix (1999)
Directed by Lana and Lily Wachowski 

Whip It (2009)

Directed by Drew Barrymore

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Directed by Valerie Faris & Jonathan Dayton

Thirteen (2003)
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

You've Got Mail/Sleepless in Seattle
Directed by Nora Ephron

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Directed by Gurinder Chada

Wayne's World (1992)
Directed by Penelope Spheeris

Clueless (1995)/
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Directed by Amy Heckerling

An Education (2009)
Directed by Lone Scherfig

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Directed by Lynne Ramsay

American Psycho (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron

Selma (2014)
Directed by Ava DuVernay

You can check out the rest of the list here

Or join the pledge to watch #52FilmsByWomen, along with more lists and resources

What's your favourite film by a female filmmaker?