FOLD FOLD FOLD FOLD FOLD FOLD FOLD BACK FRONT IN FILM WOMEN PIONEERING Image: Lise Åserud/NTB scanpix Image: Jessica Scanlon Image: Claudio Bresciani / TT Image: Chris Pizzello \ INVISION \ TT 1992 1985 2006 2011 2013 2016 2020 Few Scandinavians in film have had the The American cartoonist Alison Bechdel American civil rights activist Tarana Burke Anna Serner (b. 1964) became CEO of the 2013 is considered a hallmark year for In 2016, Alicia Vikander (b. 1988) won an Film is one of the most global and powerful wide international success of actress, (b. 1938) first wrote about what is now known (b. 1973) began using the phrase ‘Me Too’ Swedish Film Institute in 2011. Under her women in Swedish film. At the Guldbagge Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her media we have today. In many ways it writer and director Liv Ullmann (b. 1938). under the name Bechdel test in her comic on a MySpace page way back in 2006. She tenure the gender equality perspective Awards Eat Sleep Die (2012) grabbed the top role in The Danish Girl, as only the second reflects stereotypes that exist in society, She received BAFTA Award nominations strip Dykes to Watch Out For in 1985. Bechdel did it as part of a campaign that promoted permeates everything the foundation does, honours Best Film, Best Director and Best Swedish actress – or actor – to win an but it can also contribute to change them. for her performances in Bergman’s Scenes credited the idea to her friend Liz Wallace, ‘empowerment through empathy’ among from production funding to recruitment of Screenplay, with Gabriela Pichler (b. 1980, Academy Award, following Ingrid Bergman. Representation, diversity and gender-parity from a Marriage (1973) and Face to Face why it is sometimes also called the Bechdel women of colour who had experienced new personnel. In the new Film Policy that director, writer) and China Åhlander (producer) Vikander had begun taking notice of the are crucial to the filmmaking process. (1976), as well as two Academy Award Wallace test. To pass the test, a film must sexual abuse. Burke, herself a victim, has was enacted by the government 2017, gender accepting the awards. absence of female directors and co-stars Gender equality is not only a fundamental nominations for The Emigrants (1971) have (1) at least two named women in it, said she was inspired to use the phrase since equality and diversity in film is one of the The Guldbagge Awards were introduced in on the film sets. It had all culminated during human right, but a necessary foundation and Face to Face, paving the way for an (2) who talk to each other, (3) about some- wishing she had simply answered ‘me too’ seven goals. international career. thing besides a man. After the test became to a 13-year-old girl who had confided in her 1964, and to date eight Best Director awards the shooting of Tulip Fever (2017), after for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable more widely discussed in the 2000s, similar that she had been sexually assaulted. In 2016, Serner presented the Swedish Film have gone to women, with Pichler the most completing a scene with English actress world. It’s the United Nations’ fifth goal of the In 1982, Ullmann first tried her hand at tests started to emerge. The Bechdel Test is Institute’s action plan ‘50/50 by 2020: recent winner and Marianne Ahrne the first Holliday Grainger: ‘I’d just made five films 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. directing, making one of six shorts in the More than a decade later, in 2017, actress Gender equality in film production, both with Near and Far Away (1977). in a row, and this was the first one where an imperfect tool for gauging a film’s gender Just like the Swedish Film Institute, other anthology Love, written, directed and Alyssa Milano (b. 1972) tweeted the hashtag in front of and behind the camera’ at the I had a scene with another woman,’ Vikander progressivism, but it encourages audiences These numbers may not seem impressive national film organisations to have action produced by women. But it would take her #MeToo, aiming to draw attention to sexual Cannes Film Festival, aiming to raise aware- said in an interview with The Guardian. to think critically about the film media. but can be viewed in light of how many plans for gender parity include Telefilm another ten years before finally directing assault and harassment following the reports ness about gender equality in film, while major international awards are handed out Together with her agent Charles Collier, Canada, Screen Ireland, Eurimages, her first full-length feature,Sofie (1992), In 2013, cinema entrepreneur Ellen Tejle of sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer highlighting Swedish initiatives. In inter- to women. In the US, for example, Kathryn in 2016 Vikander set up her own production Norwegian Film Institute and New Zealand to international praise. (b. 1984), together with WIFT Sverige and Harvey Weinstein. The response was national comparisons, Sweden has come four Swedish movie theatres, made a logo enormous, with 85 countries engaged in Bigelow became the first and only woman company Vikarious Productions, aimed at Film Commission, to name just a few. Then in 1995, Ullmann followed up with quite far in gender equality in the film for the test, saying ‘Approved Bechdel the movement within 10 days. to date to win an Oscar for best direction in bringing more women into leading creative One way to reach the goal is to monitor Kristin Lavransdatter, a three-hour industry. But progress sure remains, judging Wallace Test’. In 2013, only 30 per cent of 2010 for Hurt Locker. And Jane Campion is positions. The company’s first feature how subsidies for directing, scriptwriting medieval epos about a woman challenging In Sweden, the online commitment was par- by the Swedish Film Institute’s gender Swedish feature films passed the Bechdel the only woman to receive the Palme d’Or in Euphoria (2017) was a drama written and and production are distributed. Another conventions to be with the man she loves tic ularly high, resulting in separate tags for equality report in 2018. test. The next year, that rate jumped to Cannes, which she won in 1993 for The Piano. directed by Lisa Langseth, with Vikander way is to put forward significant women rather than accept an arranged marriage. different industries, including #TystnadTagning 60, and in 2015, 80 per cent of Swedish One of the big problems remaining in the and Eva Green in the two lead roles. in the film industry, who’s history to a large Meanwhile, Bergman was cutting down (#SilenceAction), an open letter and mani- Swedish film industry is the money issue. extent still remains unknown. films earned an A-rating seal. The A-rate There are good reasons to take such action: on his own directing and found Ullmann festo by some 800 actresses that detailed Statistically, women and men are quite movement is now active in more than ten in 2016 the research company Polygraph Hence, Nordic Women in Film has been perfectly suited to direct his scripts. the prevalence of sexual abuse in the film equally represented in Swedish low-budget countries across the globe. analysed roughly 2,000 scripts and revealed launched by the Swedish Film Institute. It resulted in television filmsPrivate and theatre industry. films. But the more money involved, the less that actresses had the most amount of It’s a knowledge bank and a source of Confessions (1996) and Faithless (2000), women are likely to feature as director, writer, dialogue in only 22 per cent of the films. inspiration about women in film, with a AIMING FOR 50/50 the latter garnering Ullmann a Palme d’Or producer or as the lead actor. Few women Furthermore, the amount of dialogue by age- collection of name entries, topical portraits, nomination at the Cannes Film Festival. in Sweden manage to take the step to high- Ever since the silent era, women have range is opposite for women versus men. in-depth articles, interviews and film clips, budget projects, in something of a catch-22 been involved in filmmaking. Many In 2014, she directed Jessica Chastain Dialogue available to women over 40 years intended to disseminate knowledge and situation. The number of tickets sold is highly of them are now forgotten despite and Colin Farrell in a screen adaptation old decrease substantially. For men, there awareness of women’s professional con- linked with the budgets of the films, and films prominence during their day. The global of August Strindberg’s drama Miss Julie. are more roles available to older actors. With tributions to film, from both a historical with male directors, producers or lead actors film industry still remains dominated a shorter career span, one could hope that and a present-day perspective. generally get wider distribution, which in by men, but in many countries women actresses would earn more, but according turn means more cinemagoers. Since Cannes Film Festival in 2018, when are increasingly assuming their rights. to Forbes, between 1 June 2016 and 1 June the Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion The Swedish Film Institute has put in 2017, the world’s 10 highest- paid actors was launched, almost all A-rated film motion action plans to achieve gender made 2.8 times as much as the 10 highest- festivals in the world has signed, except parity within directing, producing and paid actresses. for festivals in Asia. By signing, the festivals scriptwriting of Swedish features and commit to increase gender equality in documentary films.