Kristen Stewart Voices Anger Over Hollywood's Regression for Female Professionals
Kristen Stewart has declared she is “so angry” that progress for female directors in Hollywood have reversed after a short-lived surge of positive change following the #MeToo era.
Stewart, who directed the upcoming film her latest project, delivered an impassioned address at a women’s luncheon in LA organized by the Oscars organization.
“The backsliding from a brief moment of advancement is alarming by the numbers,” she informed attendees. “A disappointingly low figure of films from the past year have been made by women.”
A yearly study that monitors the numbers of female filmmakers revealed that eleven of the highest-grossing films of last year were directed by women, down from sixteen in 2020.
‘Boys’ Club Business Model’
In her address, Stewart remarked: “In a post-MeToo moment, it appeared likely that stories made by and for women were finally getting their due. That we could be permitted or even supported to share our views and our common stories, all of our experiences unfiltered.
“But I can now attest to the bare-knuckle brawling that it takes every step when the content is too dark, too controversial, when the frankness with which it presents insights about situations routinely experienced by women, frequently provokes disgust and rejection.”
She added: “We can talk about wage gaps and menstrual product taxes and measure [inequality] in lots of quantifiable ways. But the act of muting voices, it’s like we’re not even supposed to be angry. But I could devour this stand with a utensil and sharp tool. I’m furious.”
The guests listening to Stewart’s speech featured several prominent actresses.
Stewart was met with several rounds of applause during the duration of her brief talk.
“I appreciate you,” she stated. “I am not grateful a male-centric industry framework that claims to desire to hang out with us while siphoning our resources and belittling our true perspectives. Let’s try and not be tokenised. It’s time to create our own value.”
Upcoming projects from a few women filmmakers are in the running for the forthcoming Oscars race, but the top directing award is anticipated again to be dominated by men.
