In lead up to International Women’s Day next week (Monday 8 March) , we reflect on some inspiring women in TV and Film.
Influential female creators
Euzhan Palcy
An influential director, producer and writer, who made history as the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio (MGM) with the 1989 film, “A Dry White Season”. In the film she gave oppressed South-Africans a voice by insisting on an all-South-African black cast. She also won the Caesar Award for her 1986 film, “Sugar Cane Alley (Rue Cases Negres)” from the French Academy Awards, making her the first black director to win the prestigious award.
Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel has taken the TV scene by storm in 2020 with her incredible show “I May Destroy You” which she wrote, directed, and acted in as the lead character Arabella, who is sexually assaulted. The show is a precise and articulated work of art that highlights the trauma after sexual assault and shows how Arabella navigates through her ever-changed life. The show addresses many topics including boundaries, LGBTQ+ experiences, social media, race and relationships and is an essential, educational watch.
Lois Weber
Weber was the first American female to direct a full-length feature film, with “The Merchant of Venice” in 1914 and was considered by film historian Anthony Slide as, “the most important female director the American film industry has known”. She was also one of the first directors to experiment with sound in film after the Silent Era, and was an early innovator of the split screen technique.
Marion E Wong
Chinese-American director Marion E Wong saw the lack of diversity in Hollywood and disagreed with the stereotypical way that Chinese characters were presented. Using her plethora of creative skills she directed, produced, wrote, designed the costumes, and starred in her short 1916 silent film, The Curse of Quon Gwon: When Far East Mingles With the West, a film that had an all-Chinese cast and company and incorporated authentic Chinese traditions and styles.
Viola Davis
Actress and producer Viola Davis has starred in a significant amount of film and television and is the first African-American to achieve the “triple crown of acting”. This phrase represents a combination of an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress in Fences, 2017), an Emmy Award (Lead Actress- drama series How to Get Away With Murder, 2015) and a Tony Award of which she has won two (Lead Actress- play Fences, 2010 and Featured Actress- play King Headley II, 2001).
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Filmmaker, journalist and activist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is the first Pakistani to win an Academy Award for Best Short Documentary, Saving Face in 2012. Since then, she has won a second Academy Award, six Emmy Awards and a Knight International Journalism Award. Her truthful and hard-hitting films focus on women’s rights and inequality.
Reese Witherspoon
Witherspoon is best known for her acting roles, most recently starring in Amazon’s 2020 TV series Little Fires Everywhere. However, she is also vocal about women’s rights within the entertainment industry and established Hello Sunshine, a media company that according to their website “puts women at the center of every story we create, celebrate and discover”.
Inspiring female characters on screen
Thelma and Louise
The classic 1991 film directed by Ridley Scott follows the charismatic duo Thelma and Louise as they embark on a road trip, escaping to Mexico. With themes of domestic violence and sexual assault it’s a heavy watch, however this is balanced with comedic moments and the women’s unity and friendship lifts the film up.
Jane the Virgin
This show incorporates a Latin America telenovela style into its plot with drama, romance, and a sprinkle of magical realism. In the first episode the main lead, Jane Villanueva, attends a doctor’s appointment where she is accidentally artificially inseminated. While problems arise for Jane after this life changing event, she navigates through motherhood and her relationships while maintaining her focus on achieving her career goals, with the support of her mother and grandmother.
Erin Brockovich
Based on the true story, Stephen Soderbergh’s 2001 film dramatises the legal battle that Brockovich fought against the energy corporation PG&E, who contaminated a town’s water supply that caused serious illness and even death of the residents. Julia Roberts’ performance displays the determination and will-power of Brockovich as she faces obstacles, such as sexism, all while raising her children.
Frida
Directed by Julie Taymor, this 2002 film depicts the life of the famous Mexican surrealist artist Frida Kahlo and focuses on her forward-thinking political views, sexual attitudes and artistic talents, in which she used her paintings to represent her emotions and experiences.
Grace and Frankie
Starring activists and award-winning actors Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin – who are both women’s rights campaigners – Grace and Frankie is a hilarious show with the friendship of the pair at the forefront as they support each other through their divorces. The show gives a fresh insight into how the two elderly women deal with sexuality, disability and new relationships- topics that are usually explored within a younger age group in entertainment.
Bend it like Beckham
Aspiring footballer Jess struggles with the pressure of her strict Indian parents who want her to get married, settle down and have children. This is a film of female empowerment as Jess pursues her goals despite her parent’s disapproval. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, it’s an upbeat and humorous watch.
These are just a handful of excellent women in the film and TV industry, not including other well known creators today such as Oprah Winfrey, Sofia Coppola, the Wachowski’s, Greta Gerwig, Whoopi Goldberg, Celine Sciamma, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge to name a few. This month especially, we can appreciate the fantastic works of women throughout history and look forward to a bright future with more talents to come.
By Helen Barber
Feature image: Real Simple