2012: Hey Ladies!

A little while ago I remember reading Roger Ebert's posting about the future of film. He was terrified that buying the rights to a toy, say, Slinky the Movie, was the way things were heading are: the more tie ins with products, fast food chains and the like the more likely the subject will be shot on film. Then, recently, Meryl Streep said (was led into) the exact same thing in an interview. Streep was pointing out the shift of production companies trying to foster the teenage boy with disposable income into the theater who will leave to buy the related videogame as opposed to ushering into the seats the thinking adult, or even moreso, the thinking female adult. I also remember when the issue of female friendly films coming out of Hollywood caused an ripple of excitement when Kathryn Bigelow won a few Oscars for her direction of The Hurt Locker followed a few years later by a comedy for women, Bridesmaids, which  shocked the box office. 
 

Even though I agree with the concerns of Ebert, Streep and am proud of the steps toward film world recognition women are making, I do think there are dozens of filmmakers out there who are making thoughtful films for women, by women and who are thinking far beyond product placement. Not to say that those dispelling the Hollywood system are profiting so much, mostly working outside of it in fact, but I do see hope and heart in a lot of cinema being made.

Because of all of these worries, especially the lack of women in the film world (and in the art world too!), I've decided to start a series on the blog interviewing creative women working in these fields. Whether they are gallery workers, film directors, artists, writers or just plain women who I think are vitally contributing to the cultural landscape I want you to hear from them. I want to share the work of women changing the face of creative norms. And by no means am I trying to ghetto-ize women, secluding us off in our own little room away from the efforts of men, I just want to give a platform/make a resource to a specifically underepresented group of people whom I respect and who deserve more places for their voices to be heard. Ok, that was a little heavy. And I only slightly mean it to be heavy. Moreso, I just want people to see some of the things that I see and recognize that women too can be profitable, ingenious, intellectuals and that our successes shouldn't be seen as anamolies! (Here are some unladylike pictures of me right before I stacked a cord of wood, o, and fittingly, some wood!)