„Everyone should see, that there are so many great women directors“ – An Interview with Melissa Silverstein
Melissa Silverstein is not only the loudest voice about women in the U.S. pop culture and movie industry, but beyond that. She was featured on CNN and BBC and her blog „Women and Hollywood“ was named „Best Hollywood Blog“ by totalfim.com. With her blog she created a stage for important women issues with a huge resonance.
She was jury member at this years‘ IFFF, the International Women‘s Film Festival in Dortmund, Germany. Melissa came directly from New York to join the festival. She was very excited because it has been her first time in Germany ever. In the interview she speaks about the festival, the reformation of feminism and how to create voices for women.
What for do we need a women‘s movie festival?
It‘s important to have a festival with a focus on movies made by women. We know that women make good movies. A part of the problem is that they are smaller. So we need to figure out a way to raise their profile and thats what those festivals do. In this years line-up of Cannes Film Festival only four films are directed by women
Your blog „Women and Hollywood“ is a big voice for women in the movie industry. How was this this idea born? Why „Women and Hollywood“?
I was always interested in the popular culture, in Hollywood and movies. Than I realized I could write about women and feminism and bring a different perspective to the conversation about women. „Hollywood“ is such a big thing and an easy term for people to get. So it‘s a very good title. There are still a lot of disadvantages for women in Hollywood. 23 % of the producers are women, 10 % of the movies are written, less then 7 % of the films are directed by women, and only 2 % of the directors of cinematography are women. So there is still a lot to do.
In the political world the situation slowly changes. In some countries women are in leadership positions. How important are they?
It‘s important to show that women can do it. What we need is to have more examples. I wish more of the people would have more of a progressive idea about how women should be treated in the cultures. We will have different kind of women out there, progressive or conservative. Getting more of the women in leadership positions makes the people not just talk about the girl in the room and the conversation about the gender disappears. I want to talk about the agenda and not the gender. Angela Merkel is a bit too conservative for my taste.
Today the traditional feminism seems a bit too conservative. Do we have to fight in the same way like in the 70‘s?
No, it‘s good that the feminism changes. Why should woman today fight in the same way like others did ages ago? Things should change and develop. I am very happy about the progress and the dialog we have today.
What are the main issues in feminism today?
Same work for same money, more women in leadership positions and reproductive freedom. I wish that in the conversation about the last one we would have come much more farther.
Another controversial topic is the wearing of a headscarf by muslim women in public places. Should we put a ban on it?
People have their own religious believes, but I think women never should wear a headscarf. To ban it can‘t be a good solution to solve the problem. If that‘s what these women really want, we won‘t change anything with a law. One cannot help anyone, if someone doesn‘t want to.
Can anyone help men to emancipate? Because that‘s what it‘s about as well.
No, men have to do it on their own. Women have come quite far. What men have to do, is to change their old behavioral roles. What we need is equality. The problem is, that although in America both – women and men – are working, the women still do the work at home on their own. Men can decide not to work 60 hours a week or stay with their kids at home.
What is your personal aim with your work?
It changes all the time based on what is going on in the world and how the blog is resonating. I see my blog as a jumping off point to other conversations. So what I want to achieve with all the projects that I do, like the Athena Film Festival and my blog, is using the blog to create a conversation. Taking all the interviews of women directors and to put them out there in one place, so that people can see, there are so many great women directors. So it‘s about creating voices for women.
Adam Zapert
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Der Beitrag wurde am Dienstag, den 19. April 2011 um 20:08 Uhr veröffentlicht und wurde unter Allgemeines, Porträts abgelegt. du kannst die Kommentare zu diesen Eintrag durch den RSS 2.0 Feed verfolgen. Kommentare und Pings sind derzeit nicht erlaubt.
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