Friday, December 26, 2008

Tuesday, December 23, 2008


Amma Asante
"Birds of a Feather" (2 episodes, 1993-1994)
First-Time Caller (1994) (TV)
It Happened in Hollywood (1993) (TV)
The Best of Friends (1991) (TV)
"Freddie and Max (Episode #1.4)
"Desmond's" (Veronica) (1990)
"The Bill" (One for the Ladies) (1989)

She attended full time stage school in London, where she trained as a student in dance and drama. She began her film and television career as a child actress, appearing as a regular in the British school drama Grange Hill.


Lynne Ramsey
Cinema16: British Short Films (2003) (V)
Morvern Callar (2002)
Ratcatcher (1999)
Gasman (1997)
Small Deaths (1996)
Kill the Day (1996)
Ramsay has won a BAFTA for Best Newcomer as well as four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2007, she was given the #12 spot in Guardian Unlimited's list of the world's 40 best directors working today

Jane Campion
The Water Diary (2006)
In the Cut (2003)
Holy Smoke (1999)
The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
The Piano (1993)


Academy- nominate
d film maker and Academy Award-winning screenplay writer. She is one of the most internationally successful New Zealand directors, although most of her work has been made in or financed by other countries, principally Australia.

Beeban Kidron
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Murder (2002) (TV)
Cinderella (2000/I) (TV)
Hookers Hustlers Pimps and Their Johns (1993)
Used People (1992)
Antonia and Jane (1991)

She is the
co-founder of Filmclub along with educationalist Lindsay Mackie. "The organisation seeks to set up a UK-wide school-based network of film clubs with the onus on making a wide variety of films available allowing young people the chance to view a range of films they would normally not see".

Why women directors are such a rare sight?

5 reasons
The first reason for why women are a rare sight as seen as film directors is children. Having children is seen as a reason why women dont become directors. Sarah Radclyffe had said that "when you've just had a child, you can go back to the production side of things relatively easily" but whereas directing "you are giving part of your inner self" and women can find that hard if you have a young child because that part of yourself is not for work its for your child.
Another reason is that the film industry is a very male dominated."There's alot of 'who you know' in terms of how you get promoted" (Beeban Kidron) and its very male dominated at every level of the career ladder. Woman have a hard time succedding because they do not only have to worry about their competition at work but they have a family. Men dont have that worry of looking after children but if there were to be an equal share of child rearing the women could get a better chance of climbing that ladder and being promoted.
Polly Leys had said once that women had the majority of the less visible jobs which means more supporting and production based jobs whereas the men had more creative roles of being either the writer or the director. The women have to conform into being the supportive one even at work and not only at home with a family.
Confidence and self belief is another issue into what could possibly be a reason into why there are not many women being seen as directors. Naomie Harris had said that being an actress "you can feel very aliented, playing the female lead in a male dominated cast and environment" and thats its very hard to "express yourself" and "feel that you will be heard in that kind of environment".