Women are usually not prominent in the world of filmmaking, but the Swedish government is paving the way for others to follow by encouraging their participation in every aspect of the movie business.
|Last Updated: Jul 17, 2010, 12:39 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Fårö Island: Women are usually not prominent in the world of filmmaking, but the Swedish government is paving the way for others to follow by encouraging their participation in every aspect of the movie business.
"A few years ago it was written into the film agreement that there should be a goal of having at least 40 percent women in key functions in a film`s production," says Pia Lundberg, head of the international department at the Swedish Film Institute.
"We have a lot of successful women producers and we are almost going past male producers at the moment. We also have around 40 percent female scriptwriters, but for directors it is looking bad and this year only 25 percent of films in Sweden have been made by women directors," Pia laments.
Sweden fares far better than most countries. The most glamorous, Hollywood, still prefers to treat women as objects of desire rather than debate, with only a handful of women directors making films.
India too fares poorly, as its few women filmmakers have repeatedly talked about how difficult it has been for them to find funds as producers are mostly men who find it hard to see beyond their looks. Yet, some powerful women filmmakers in the world are Indians - Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta in Hollywood, and Gurinder Chadha in Britain.
Sweden is taking some radical measures to prod more women to make films.
"There are approximately as many women as men in Swedish film schools and we have a system of film commissioners handing out money for making films. Sadly, there has been less submission from women to make films. So we are discussing new programmes to stimulate young women filmmakers," says Pia.
Under discussion is a system of a fixed quota for women.
"Many people don`t find quotas for women to be the best way to promote women. But we are looking into the matter," Pia adds.
Jan Göransson, head of press at the Swedish Film Institute, says, "The figures are much more depressing when you consider women directing commercials in Sweden."
But quota and subsidies aside, what is important is the treatment meted out to those that have proved their worth. Two-time Oscar nominated actress Liv Ullmann, who was director of the Golden Palm Nominee at Cannes film festival, "Faithless", has not made a single film since 2000.
Ullmann says, "I have had three films finished in script and casting but there was so much problem getting money despite a cast like Cate Blanchett and Kate Winslet among others that I gave up."
Being a Norwegian, she has been trying to make her films in Norway. She is directing and acting in a play now.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.