It is surprising that women are not having more of a say in major Hollywood projects. (“Coulda, shoulda, woulda: Why those protesting against the Oscar nominations list got it wrong”; Jan 20)
I still believe that women in America, if not the free world generally, are more fortunate in having more opportunities than women in the rest of the world, particularly if they are able to take full advantage of favourable circumstances.
But the bottom line matters, especially for big-budget blockbusters, which have a lot more riding on them.
There is no room for tripping up, even if one is male.
There is even less doubt that it is a question of overcoming the prejudices that exist in a male-dominated industry such as Tinseltown and having to work harder to show what one is capable of exactly.
Barriers are there to be broken, and they were to a certain extent, when the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director was Kathryn Bigelow for the 2009 film, The Hurt Locker.
The bigger film, commercially, that year was Avatar. And it did not matter that director James Cameron lost because he had already won big for Titanic. That was the sentiment all round.
So, there was this begrudging attitude to be dealt with for women, and there has not been much to crow about since.
But I think that will change because women have featured more prominently in films that have done well in recent years, in front of and even behind the camera.
As long as studios are willing to take a chance with their money, backed by the courage of their convictions, then the results could be interesting, more so after years of the same old sequels, prequels and remakes.
I believe that women have a better eye for the arts and should, therefore, be better able to excel in creating a good film. They have the experience and the drive.
With a little more encouragement, they could become a staple in film-making in years to come. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain in taking a chance, and that could work in their favour.
I still believe that women in America, if not the free world generally, are more fortunate in having more opportunities than women in the rest of the world, particularly if they are able to take full advantage of favourable circumstances.
But the bottom line matters, especially for big-budget blockbusters, which have a lot more riding on them.
There is no room for tripping up, even if one is male.
There is even less doubt that it is a question of overcoming the prejudices that exist in a male-dominated industry such as Tinseltown and having to work harder to show what one is capable of exactly.
Barriers are there to be broken, and they were to a certain extent, when the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director was Kathryn Bigelow for the 2009 film, The Hurt Locker.
The bigger film, commercially, that year was Avatar. And it did not matter that director James Cameron lost because he had already won big for Titanic. That was the sentiment all round.
So, there was this begrudging attitude to be dealt with for women, and there has not been much to crow about since.
But I think that will change because women have featured more prominently in films that have done well in recent years, in front of and even behind the camera.
As long as studios are willing to take a chance with their money, backed by the courage of their convictions, then the results could be interesting, more so after years of the same old sequels, prequels and remakes.
I believe that women have a better eye for the arts and should, therefore, be better able to excel in creating a good film. They have the experience and the drive.
With a little more encouragement, they could become a staple in film-making in years to come. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain in taking a chance, and that could work in their favour.
