On October 18, I returned from the Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI) Summit which was held in London October 11 - 14. It was an honor to represent our Atlanta chapter. This is only the third year of WIFTI’s official existence. The WIFTI board, on which I serve as ViceChair/Communications, is working very hard to make sure this network of over 40 chapters worldwide and over 10,000 members becomes a means to further the careers of women in film, television, and other screen-based media.
The WIFTI Summit had close to 100 delegates, representing not only the U.S., Canada, UK, and Europe, but also from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia, and the highest ranking television executive in Beijing, in charge of over 100 producers of television programming!
Since our Atlanta chapter is over 25 years old, the second oldest in the world after Los Angeles, it was most inspiring to observe the enthusiasm of the Danish WIFT chapter. Only two years old, they have over 250 members and sent 12 to the Summit! They are “on fire” with the vision of global connectedness and cooperation among women in our industry. It seems that many European chapters are having a difficult time forming a solid chapter, because the concepts of “networking among women” and “truly working together” are foreign to them. Thus, as they take a seat on the WIFTI board, countries such as Denmark will serve the important role of helping their fellow European chapters.
Consider this, women are the largest under-represented group on screen...
Women in other countries are not as fortunate as we in the U.S. For example, in Zimbabwe, if a woman chooses to involve herself in the film industry, she is then looked upon as a “prostitute.” The women there have to be armed with tremendous courage to face the many personal sacrifices that will come their way if they choose to follow their artistic and creative paths.During the opening reception at the British Council, Director of Film, Paul Howarth, said, “I believe you as women have a particularly important role to play in bringing a sense of moral responsibility to the entertainment industry. The cultural and social values that films and television programs project have immense power, especially among young people. But if we fail to use them responsibly and creatively, we are heading off in a direction that is very likely to damage not just the health, but the vitality and the confidence of our own society. May I ask you to think about this during your discussions over the next few days, and to consider how, as women, working in strategic positions in your own countries, you may bring your influence to bear on this issue which will directly affect how our children, and theirs, will lead their lives?”
Several days later, we experienced the power of his “prophetic words.” Mary Raftery, an Irish documentarian, told of the months she spent uncovering the truth about a whole generation of children ripped apart from their families and brought up in church-run institutions. Her three part documentary, “States of Fear” exposed the horrifying sexual abuse these children suffered at the hands of priests and nuns. Even more importantly, however, she fought for this program to be aired during prime time. The result? The entire nation was shaken to its core. The age-long “denial” that kept saying “Oh, this just happens to a few people” was shattered and the government issued a public apology for “turning their backs” on this evil. They are now in the process of making restitution to the entire generation that got “swept under the rug of moral neglect.” One woman’s documentary affected an entire nation! After she spoke, other women filmmakers told of trying to address similar moral and cultural injustices, such as with the aborigines in Australia. We came away with a gripping vision that as women, we SEE things differently. And that difference can and should be life changing and ennobling to the culture to which we bring our creative and artistic abilities. I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened in Nazi Germany had there been women filmmakers in positions of influence.
Since my involvement in Women in Film began, over three years ago, my own conviction about the importance our organization plays in the historical/cultural scheme of things has grown. Sitting around our WIFTI board meeting, we all were struck by the fact that we were helping to create history. Sometimes that’s hard to grasp when we’re all popping in the frying pan called “life.” But the fact is that the entertainment industry is the largest purveyor of culture in the entire world. As media scholar George Gerbner has stated, “Those who tell stories hold the power in society.” As women, we need to be “telling our stories” and doing what we can — often making tremendous sacrifices to make sure those stories get told. Why? Because we owe it to our half of the population that women are portrayed realistically, and with dignity. If we leave our stories to others, what do we pass on to the younger women who follow and search throughout the entertainment venues to grab hold of something that resonates with them, that says, “Yes! This is me! This is who I am!?”
Dr. Martha M. Lauzen of the School of Communication at San Diego State University has conducted several surveys commissioned by Women in Film/Los Angeles. In the one such study I’m familiar with, Dr. Lauzen examined entertainment series ranked among the top 100 programs of the 1998-99 prime-time season and found women’s employment at a virtual standstill, on average accounting for only 21.5% of all individuals in key roles as producers, executive producers, writers, editors, creators, and directors.
Consider this, women are the largest under-represented group on screen and behind the scenes in prime time, and yet women comprise the majority of the prime time viewing audience. Go figure. Look further. Advertisers spend millions of dollars trying to “reach women” since everyone knows WE hold the nation’s purse strings. And yet do these advertisers bother to ask if they are advertising on shows created by and for women? And worse...do they hire women directors to produce the ads they want so desperately to relate to women? What a joke! What is happening is that millions of wonderfully talented women writers, producers, directors, editors, cinematographers are constantly shuffled to the background while the entertainment industry is controlled by those who attempt to “speak for us.”
This is the tremendous challenge facing Women in Film chapters worldwide. In fact, it is the reason Women in Film was established in the first place. As the story goes, in 1973, seven women were called to action in Los Angeles when an article appeared in “The Hollywood Reporter” noting “the dismal number of TV scripts written by women.” The brainstorming session of these seven woman resulted in the formation of Women In Film, an organization dedicated to “improving the depiction, employment and position of women in the entertainment industry.” Fast forward 27 years and Women in Film today boasts over 40 chapters and over 10,000 members.
I could not be more proud of working alongside the many women in the Atlanta entertainment industry and especially my “sisters” in Women in Film/Atlanta who are trying to make a difference.