Project encourages female film directors to combat inequality

P

Think about the last movie you watched and answer three questions about it. Among the characters, were there two or more women? Did they have a dialogue between them? Was the conversation about something other than men or romance? If all answers were positive, know that the title passed the Bechdel Test. Created in the 1980s, the questionnaire has recently gained popularity again as a way to denounce gender bias.

You can say that, as basic as it is, the Bechdel Test remains essential after almost four decades – we warn you right away that, from now on, it will always be with you, to evaluate each movie or series you watch .

The numbers demonstrate that we are still far from achieving gender equality in the area. A 2020 survey done at the University of San Diego in California showed that women accounted for 16% of the total directors working in the top 100 box office that year.

in the movies on demand, the number dropped to 10%. In addition, in almost 70% of the analyzed films, less than five women held prominent positions – such as screenwriter, executive producer or cameraman. “We already have expressive results if we look at the past. Since the mid-2010s, we have seen this women’s movement gaining ground both in audiovisual careers and in the role of consumers of these products”, explains Barbara Sturm, director of content at distributor Elo Company and curator of Selo ELAS.

Working in the area and fanatical about films and series, she has a vast repertoire, but admits that she only felt represented in a superhero plot when she watched captain marvelin 2019. “It was smart, funny, real, it had to do with me”, he says.

“In Brazil, it is already difficult for a woman to make the first film, but the second is almost impossible. She specializes in another, more accessible role in the field.”

Four years ago, Barbara decided to do something about the absence of women in the area and created ELAS, an incubator for national films directed by women. She selects projects that gain support from a board of 23 professionals from different areas – other film directors, lawyers, actresses, presenters, marketing specialists –, empowering them in the production process, providing structure and opening paths in an industry that is very closed and also solving the problem of women’s loneliness in the direction.

See also: Victims of domestic violence, patient and therapist launch book “Eu Escolhi Viver”

“What we understand is that, in Brazil, it is already difficult for a woman to make the first film, but the second is almost impossible. She usually accumulates functions, she is director and producer or scenographer, screenwriter. It is common for her to specialize in this second activity, as it is a little more accessible, and, finally, she abandons directing. The support from ELAS makes up for the lack of experience, gives her a boost to believe she is capable long before she gets to the set, and stays there, of course”, completes Barbara.

For her, a cozy set is one where a woman can breastfeed a baby without feeling uncomfortable, for example, or having other women in key positions – and it all starts with a woman at the helm.

The choice of projects is based on commercial appeal and trends. Barbara studies what will impact which audience and how until the film is ready. According to her, there is a great variety of themes and perceptions.

“It has to do with her experience, her experiences, looks. And we also seek women from different regions of the country. Today, among our ongoing projects, there are directors from São Luís, Brasília, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis, among others.” Barbara cites two strong and very distinct examples.

See also: Filmmaker focuses his lens on Brazilian women who are real-life heroines

The label launched, in 2019, Maidens’ Tower, a documentary that portrayed the lives of political prisoners who survived the dictatorship and showed how the female unit formed by them was fundamental to resistance. “It’s cathartic,” she describes.

Another film, released at festivals in 2017 and which reached streaming in 2020, was In Ernesto’s Eyes, the story of an elderly man who begins to lose his sight and befriends a teenage girl. “It’s about being seen and heard, not being made invisible,” she says. “It combats stereotypes that women’s movies are always lighthearted, talk about girl groups, or bully men. The projects are plural, as are the women”, says Barbara.

To date, 37 projects have been selected, five films have been released and nine are in post-production. “The arts, the culture, are a reflection of society and vice versa. Life’s influences show up quickly in movies. Therefore, it is likely that we will see female characters and protagonists increasingly real and recognizable. The transformation that cinema is taking place now is already on the streets, and there is no going back”, completes Barbara.