Jodie Foster is happy to see more women in films
She has been a part of showbiz since the age of six, and Jodie Foster has witnessed Hollywood and the process of filmmaking evolve. From having no female around on a film set other than herself, to now becoming a director herself, it has been quite a journey for her. “When I was growing up in the late ‘60s till now, things have changed. Every producer, director, technician was a man. I never saw any other woman, until sometimes in the ‘80s when things started changing,” shares Foster, who started her career as a child artiste in 1968 with television sitcom Mayberry R.F.D.
The actor-director, who has helmed films such as Little Man Tate (1991), Money Monster (2016) and episodes of shows like House of Cards, Black Mirror and Orange Is the New Black, is happy to see the change.
As an actor, the 58-year-old has been known for playing strong characters, something that she has done in her new film, The Mauritanian. She portrays the role of a defence attorney, who uncovers a farreaching conspiracy while investigating the case of a suspected 9/11 terrorist imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for six years.
“Even in the roles where the women weren’t that strong, I made them stronger. I don’t think a film about somebody who doesn’t have an opinion and blends into the word work, is interesting,” she says.
Foster, who has starred in acclaimed films such as The Silence of the Lambs (1991),
Panic Room (2002) and The Brave One (2007), has cut back on acting and says there are quite a few reasons for it.
“Naturally, things slow down when you get older. Also, after years of doing the exact same job, I’ve become a little pickier. I’ve been prioritising direction,” she explains, recalling a realisation she had 10 years ago. “I never knew that there were other ways than making films, somehow I just thought that was it. Now, if I’m going to take the time out, then I’ve to do something that moves me and I’ve to feel somehow I’m contributing in making the role better and not worse,” she concludes.