Why nothing has changed for women in film since the heyday of Liz Taylor

SPECIAL REPORT

THE way women are represented in movies has not changed in half a century, according to a new study. The research shows that women are under-represented, both in front of and behind the camera. In the 100 top-grossing films of 2015, 68.6 per cent of speaking characters were male, and only 31.4 per cent female. This statistic comes from a study, conducted by Dr Stacy L Smith, Marc Choueti and Dr Katherine Pieper, who investigated the balance between men and women in the film industry. In their study, Inequality in 800 Popular Films, the researchers assess 35,205 characters across 800 of the most popular films from 2007 to 2015. The researchers also found that only 32 per cent of the top 100 films had a female lead character. Of the films with a female lead, only five of them had a female lead from an under-represented racial or ethnic group. It was also found that older women are not well represented in film. Only five of the 100 top films of 2015 had a female lead aged 45 or older. In contrast, 26 films had a male lead aged 45 or older. Female characters are also more sexualised in film than their male counterparts. Females are three times more likely than males to be shown in sexually revealing clothing. Furthermore, girls and women are referred to as attractive more often than men. Women are referred to this way in 12 per cent of cases, while for men it is only in 3.6 per cent of cases. The study is published by Women in Film and Television UK ( WFTV UK), which lobbies for women’s interests in the film industry. Chief executive of WFTV UK, Kate Kinninmont, said: “On every measure the figures are shameful. If you didn’t know women are more than half the population you’d think we were some kind of small minority group, given lip service but little real power. Women in Film and TV believe that putting information out there is transformative and, as decision makers wake up to the problem, we are beginning to see change”. Another study published by WFTV Buffy Summers, CJ, Birgitte Nyborg, Juno, Princess Leia (below), Jess Bhamra, Amelie Poulain, Daenerys Targaryen,

Of Kimmy Schmidt, Sophia Burset, UK was conducted by Directors UK, and led by Stephen Follows and Alexis Kreager. It investigated how women and men’s directing careers differ in the UK film industry. The study reveals that, of 2,591 films released between 2005 and 2014, only 13.6 per cent of working film directors were women. Ali Bailey, head of campaigns for Directors UK, said there was inequality in “all key creative roles”.

“This impacts the stories that are told and the way they are shared,” she explained, “and that impacts the wider culture.”

IN their research paper, Follows and Kreager identify several reasons why women are not fairly represented in UK film. Firstly, there is “no effective regulatory system” to enforce gender equality in film. As a result, unfair hiring practices continue. Secondly, uncertain financial times lead to the industry looking for an “archetypal director”, rather than choosing for ability. Thirdly, the fact that film work is inherently short term discourages any long-term strategies to increase gender equality. Lastly, the “vicious cycle” of male employers hiring men, creating a lack of female role models, perpetuates inequality.

In order to remedy the disparity between men and women in the film industry, Fellows and Kreager propose a target of 50/50 gender parity by 2020, and a campaign to fight for equality in the UK film industry.

Louise Say, a Scottish producer and director, said: “If we are to make films that count – that reach out to the broad range of viewers who watch them – then we need women and men to make them; we need those women and men to be gay, straight, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and ages ... I fear we remain a long way off that goal.”

Barbara Orton, a producer and director for Scottish production company True TV, has found that documentary filmmaking offers more opportunities for women than the movie business. “I have noticed that more and more women are gaining ground,” she said. “Women should stay true to their drives and motives – we’re every bit as good as men. It shouldn’t be about confidence.”

Dr Rebecca Harrison, lecturer in film and TV studies at the University of Glasgow, calls attention to the great film work done by women in the past: “While we absolutely must call out continuing inequalities in today’s film industry, it’s important that we don’t overlook the rich history of women’s work in cinema … Even in the 1910s and 1920s, Lois Weber, Mary Pickford and Frances Marion were working behind the camera and creating extraordinary films.”

Harrison also points out some of the work that is being done now to assist women’s interests: “Following her role in Bridget Jones’s Baby, Sarah Solemani’s recent Twitter campaign #BudgettheBaby shone a light on the work of Raising Films, which aims to support mothers in the – often not very child-friendly – industry.”

Ana Salzberg, lecturer in film studies at the University of Dundee, has noticed that “a lot of attention” is being drawn to inequality in film by stars like Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games actor who spoke out against the Hollywood gender pay gap. Salzberg also mentions Patricia Arquette’s Oscar speech on the difficulty of ageing in Hollywood.

She thinks it would be “interesting to trace how it goes from being a buzzword to a change in the film industry”.

Engender, Scotland’s feminist organisation, is very aware of the problems facing the film industry. Alys Mumford from Engender said: “Women’s representation, both on screen and behind the camera, is shockingly poor. This not only reflects a society where women are less valued than men, but also perpetuates cultural norms about women’s worth, talent and right to be seen.”

She recognises the importance of figures like Jennifer Lawrence “highlighting the problem”, but also warns: “Let’s not push for more female characters only to see them sexualised, mocked or murdered in the first five minutes.”

The Fawcett Society, the UK’s largest charity for women’s rights, also wants to see a change in the film industry, in particular over pay.

Jemima Olchawski, head of policy at the Fawcett Society, said: “It’s time to pay women and men fairly and create more great characters for women that reflect the diversity of their experience rather than side-line them as mothers, wives and girlfriends.”