Speech at FERA General Assembly 19 -21 of September - - PDF document

¡ 1 ¡

Speech ¡at ¡FERA ¡General ¡Assembly ¡19 ¡-­‑21 ¡of ¡September ¡2014. ¡ Christina ¡Olofson, ¡film ¡director, ¡film ¡producer ¡ A woman is a risky bet.

• ­‑ about gender equality in film production

In Sweden we are slowly taking steps towards a change for female film directors in feature length fiction films. We have been working hard for a long time to achieve that? And most importantly – the question must always be kept alive? The most important questions are – who identifies the world? Who decides what the world should be perceived? How do we achieve cultural diversity if women are not allowed into the world of film? In Sweden it is the Swedish Film Institute, SFI, who decides and allocates the film support. But this is not all. They also handle the Swedish film archive and film library. Even though it is very important to talk about the production of films today, in order to create a cultural heritage, we also need to look back at the archived films to learn how to promote the films from yesterday till today. We, as film directors, have to break tradition and create new history, as well as break down prejudices and attitude. This takes time. ¡ The ¡Swedish ¡Film ¡Institute ¡works ¡with ¡and ¡introduces ¡projects ¡in ¡order ¡to ¡change ¡the ¡ situation ¡for ¡female ¡filmmakers. ¡This ¡includes ¡mentoring ¡programmes, ¡projects ¡for ¡ directors ¡who ¡have ¡made ¡one ¡or ¡two ¡feature ¡films ¡and ¡gender ¡consciousness ¡training ¡for ¡ the ¡Film ¡Institute ¡staff. ¡ ¡Gender ¡equality ¡is ¡always ¡on ¡the ¡agenda. ¡ ¡ Once ¡a ¡year, ¡The Swedish Film Institute, SFI ¡produce ¡facts ¡and ¡statistics ¡concerning ¡ Swedish ¡film. ¡ ¡

http://www.sfi.se/Documents/Omvärldsanalys%20och%20uppföljning/Filmåret%20i%20siffror/Filmåret%20i%20siffr

• r%202013.pdf

¡ Accumulation ¡and ¡analysing ¡is ¡a ¡good ¡method ¡in ¡order ¡to ¡get ¡an ¡overview ¡of ¡the ¡purely ¡ factual ¡reality. ¡It is important to make a distinction between films with funding from a commissioner and released films. ¡ The ¡statistics ¡for ¡released ¡films ¡directed ¡by ¡females, ¡are ¡like ¡a ¡roller ¡coaster. ¡ Films between 2009 and 2013, that have received funding from a commissioner are around 30-38 percent, while the percentage for released films are lower. As an example, in 2012 7 percent of all feature length films with theatrical release had a female director. 30 films had its premier in 2012 and 21 of these were funded by a commissioner at the Swedish Film Institute. In 2013 the proportion of funded films with a female director was 38 percent and released films funded by a commissioner was 27 percent. Money talks, and this affects ¡women’s ¡films. ¡create? ¡

¡ 2 ¡ Feature-length fiction films directed by men, generally receive a higher ¡amount ¡of ¡funding. ¡ This is due to a considerable difference in budget between films directed by men and women. The proportion of films directed by women among the five highest funding amounts did, however, increase in 2013. ¡ Where there is money and prestige there are fewer women. I want to give context of our efforts to change the conditions for female filmmakers. ¡ In 1975 United Nations proclaimed the year of the woman. At that time 28 female film directors, producers and actors from 16 countries participated in a symposium in the Aosta Valley in northern Italy. They exchanged views on the various theoretical and practical concerns of their filmmaking, and discussed how to improve their professional image of women in film They adopted a resolution saying; Money, distribution systems and investment for film production - Cinematographic form, All-women technical crews, The image of women in films, Film Archives, Film Criticism, Technical and professional problems. The questions they raised are similar to the questions we have today. One of the directors taking part in this event was Mai Zetterling, one the first female directors

• f a feature length fiction film in Sweden – “Loving Couples” (Älskande par), from 1964.

When Zetterling ¡came ¡back ¡to ¡Sweden, ¡she ¡helped ¡forming ¡the ¡Swedish ¡branch ¡of ¡the ¡

• rganization, ¡Swedish ¡Women’s ¡Film ¡Association ¡(Svenska ¡kvinnors ¡filmförbund). ¡

Ever since, we have been working in that same spirit to try to change the conditions for female film directors, scriptwriters, producers, cinematographers and so forth. Important ¡steps ¡in ¡changing ¡female ¡filmmakers ¡conditions. ¡ ¡ In the early 1990’s we made a survey about women in film – all categories. WOMEN IN SWEDISH FILM. We ¡presented ¡statistics ¡and ¡analysed ¡the ¡film ¡language. ¡ ¡ Next up is 2003. A film policy seminar was arranged by the Swedish Film Directors, The Swedish Union for Performing Arts and Film (Teaterförbundet) with support from the Swedish government and the Swedish Film Institute. The seminar covered everything from screen to film schools to the film industry. What kinds of stories do we see? What gives it the image of mankind? How does it affect our identity and us? It was a breakthrough. The successor of the Swedish ¡Women’s ¡Film ¡Association ¡is WIFT, Women in Film and Television in Sweden, started in 2003. It was established in 2003, as a branch of the international organisation formed in Los Angeles in the 1970s. ¡ One of many Wift projects ¡was ¡to ¡establish ¡contact ¡with ¡researchers ¡from ¡the University

• f Stockholm. Together ¡we ¡have ¡produced ¡four ¡publications, ¡all ¡translated ¡into ¡English. ¡ ¡

¡ 3 ¡ The publications discuss the decision-making process behind a film, how the concept of quality is filled with content through discussions and decisions, and potential strategies and concrete tools for achieving gender equality. The latest one is about production and distribution and was released last November. ¡ The reports series have added depth to the conversation; raised the level of the public debate and replaced routine and unconsidered preconceptions with research and facts. ¡ All our efforts influenced the current Swedish Film agreement. ¡ Gender equality has been brought into stronger focus in the 2013 Film Agreement, which means that production funding is to be divided equally between women and men. By the end

• f 2015, the total amount of funding awarded during the agreement period shall be allocated

to 50 percent women and 50 percent men in each of the three professional categories: director, screenwriter and producer. In order to highlight female directors at the beginning of their career, The Stockholm Film Festival instituted the Feature Film Award in 2011. The Rookie project was a programme consisting of five films aimed at directors of one or two feature films. However, as almost all the applicants proved to be men, the film commissioner decided that a woman should direct the fifth film. She received 80 applications, and if not all

• f them were good enough she picked out quite many of these and gave development support

to five and production support to one. Due to a lack of money the project was limited to two years, 2007-2009. Another mission is The Bechdel test – two named women in a film talk to each other about something other than a man. Films that fulfil this receive an A-label and it is implemented in

• ne of our cinema chains in order to give the audience information.

We have a better balance now, but that is mostly because we have a formal power actively working with the issue. Those with informal power do not contribute to increased diversity. That means that there are more women in the film industry now, but the vast majority are still men. ¡ You can say that all that we achieve and work for requires continual improvement to stay fresh and relevant. ¡ New technology and new platforms for viewing film have fundamentally altered audience habits, which paves the way for film. ¡ The ¡change ¡is ¡in ¡progress ¡however ¡we ¡have ¡to ¡speed ¡it ¡up. ¡ ¡ “It is difficult to live in an untold world.” A quote from the polish film director Krzysztof_Kieślowski

¡

Christina Olofson 141012