AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS€¦ · for the Palme d'Or 2016, Golden Globes...

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AT A GLANCE Infographic DEEP-ROOTED STEREOTYPES Even though the past 50 years have seen a significant advance in women’s living conditions and status in society as a whole, their depiction on screen has continued to reflect patriarchal stereotypes. Accordingly, female characters are in general younger than their male counterparts and more likely to be reduced to the less pivotal role of wife, mother or girlfriend. To help guarantee that stories and perspectives portrayed on the cinema screen are not as two-dimensional and more true to life requires a shift in the gender balance within the European film industry. With more women in key positions, conditions for women in the industry will improve as a whole and perceptions of women’s roles will likely evolve as well. However, given that women account for just under 20 % of European film directors, gender equality still seems a long way off. JOB SEGREGATION AND PAY GAP IN FILM Data from Eurimages – the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe – demonstrate a clear under-representation of women in the main film production roles. Worryingly, data also confirm that the various positions in the film industry seem to be associated with one of the two genders. Thus, it appears that women are over-represented in professions traditionally considered feminine – such as costume design and editing – and under-represented in others viewed as more technical, such as those dealing with sound, music and image. Interestingly, while film projects having a woman as director received 29 % of the overall support granted in the 2013-2014 period, their average budget was still 40 % lower than the budget of projects having a man as director. However, low funding perpetuates the scarcity of female-directed films in circulation, affecting in turn the markets’ willingness to invest in them and thus creating a vicious circle. As in other parts of the world, in 2015 female film directors were paid 23 % less than their male counterparts, which was nevertheless an improvement compared to the 2013-2014 period, when the pay gap stood at 34 %. AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPE FROM 2012 TO 2016 AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPE FROM 2012 TO 2016 AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPE FROM 2012 TO 2016 WEIGHTED AVERAGE WEIGHTED AVERAGE WEIGHTED AVERAGE 19.6 %* The weighted average is calculated on the basis of the number of films produced in each country, including Norway, Switzerland, Russia, and Turkey. * No data Non-EU countries 0 9 13.9 18 23 30 Legend (in %) 0 % 20 % 40 % 60 % 80 % 100 % 84 43 42 40 40 39 31 30 24 10 8 4 1 Costume Designer Minor role Chief Decorator Supporting actor Lead actor Editor Script Writer Producer Director Camera/Image Composer Sound engineer Mixer Positions held by women in fiction film projects receiving Eurimages funding, 2014-2015 Source: Eurimages, Strategy 2016-2017 for gender equality in the European film industry , 2017. Source: Le Lab 'Femmes de cinema', Emergence of a new generation of female film directors, 2017. AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Author: Ivana Katsarova; Graphics: Samy Chahri Members’ Research Service PE 635.527 – March 2019

Transcript of AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS€¦ · for the Palme d'Or 2016, Golden Globes...

Page 1: AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS€¦ · for the Palme d'Or 2016, Golden Globes 2017 and Oscars 2017 Mustang (2015), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (France, Germany, Turkey)

AT A GLANCEInfographic

DEEP-ROOTED STEREOTYPES Even though the past 50 years have seen a signi� cant advance in women’s living conditions and status in society as a whole, their depiction on screen has continued to re� ect patriarchal stereotypes. Accordingly, female characters are in general younger than their male counterparts and more likely to be reduced to the less pivotal role of wife, mother or girlfriend.

To help guarantee that stories and perspectives portrayed on the cinema screen are not as two-dimensional and more true to life requires a shift in the gender balance within the European � lm industry. With more women in key positions, conditions for women in the industry will improve as a whole and perceptions of women’s roles will likely evolve as well. However, given that women account for just under 20 % of European � lm directors, gender equality still seems a long way o� .

JOB SEGREGATION AND PAY GAP IN FILMData from Eurimages – the cultural support fund of the Council of Europe – demonstrate a clear under-representation of women in the main � lm production roles. Worryingly, data also con� rm that the various positions in the � lm industry seem to be associated with one of the two genders. Thus, it appears

that women are over-represented in professions traditionally considered feminine – such as costume design and editing – and under-represented in others viewed as more technical, such as those dealing with sound, music and image. Interestingly, while � lm projects having a woman as director received 29 % of the overall support granted in the 2013-2014 period, their average budget was still 40 % lower than the budget of projects having a man as director. However, low funding perpetuates the scarcity of female-directed � lms in circulation, a� ecting in turn the markets’ willingness to invest in them and thus creating a vicious circle.

As in other parts of the world, in 2015 female � lm directors were paid 23 % less than their male counterparts, which was nevertheless an improvement compared to the 2013-2014 period, when the pay gap stood at 34 %.

AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPEFROM 2012 TO 2016

AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPEFROM 2012 TO 2016

AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF FILMS DIRECTED BY WOMEN IN EUROPEFROM 2012 TO 2016

WEIGHTEDAVERAGE

WEIGHTEDAVERAGE

WEIGHTEDAVERAGE

19.6 %*

The weighted average is calculated on the basis of the number of lms produced in each country, including Norway, Switzerland, Russia, and Turkey.

*

No data Non-EU countries0 9 13.9 18 23 30

Legend (in %)

0 %

20 %

40 %

60 %

80 %

100 %84

43 42 40 40 3931 30

24

10 8 4 1

Costume Desig

ner

Minor role

Chief Decorator

Supporting acto

r

Lead actor

Editor

Script W

riter

Producer

Director

Camera/Image

Composer

Sound engineerMixer

Positions held by women in � ction � lm projects receiving Eurimages funding, 2014-2015

Source: Eurimages, Strategy 2016-2017 for gender equality in the European � lm industry, 2017.Source: Le Lab 'Femmes de cinema', Emergence of a new generation of female � lm directors, 2017.

AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS

EPRS | European Parliamentary Research ServiceAuthor: Ivana Katsarova; Graphics: Samy Chahri

Members’ Research ServicePE 635.527 – March 2019

Page 2: AND THE PRIZE GOES TO… EUROPEAN FEMALE FILMMAKERS€¦ · for the Palme d'Or 2016, Golden Globes 2017 and Oscars 2017 Mustang (2015), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (France, Germany, Turkey)

Finally, even though there are almost as many women (44 %) as men (56 %) graduating from � lm schools, the overall proportion of female directors working in the industry is only 24 %.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SUPPORT TO FEMALE FILM DIRECTORS

Turning political discourse into action, the Parliament has been steadily supporting the dissemination of film productions directed by wo m e n o r p o r t r a y i n g strong and inspiring female characters through its LUX Film Prize. Over the past 11 years, the prize has helped promote more than 100 � lms.

In the 12 editions since its creation in 2007, the LUX prize has been awarded to � ve women, thus getting closer to equality without compromising on quality. Many of the other rewarded � lms, such as ‘Woman at war’ or ‘Ida’, tell the stories of strong women and inspiring role models.

In spite of this, � lms directed by women are signi� cantly under-represented at A-list festivals. In the 89-year history of the Oscars, only one woman – Kathryn Bigelow – has been awarded the � lm-directing prize (2009). The track record of the 71-year-old Cannes Film Festival looks no better: only one female director – Jane Campion – has won the Palme d’Or (1993). The Berlin and the Venice � lm festivals exhibit slightly better statistics. From 1980 to 2018, they each honoured four female directors.

58 %42 %

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTIS COMMITTED TO CULTURE

44 %

24 % 76 %

56 %

LUX PRIZE WINNERS' SUCCESS STORIES

Woman at war (2018) Benedikt Erlingsson (Iceland, France, Ukraine) Lux Prize 2018

Sami blood (2017) Amanda Kernell (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)Lux Prize 2017 and nine other international � lm awards

Toni Erdmann (2016) Maren Ade (Germany, Austria)Lux Prize 2016 and 30 other international � lm awards; nominated for the Palme d'Or 2016, Golden Globes 2017 and Oscars 2017

Mustang (2015), Deniz Gamze Ergüven (France, Germany, Turkey)Lux Prize 2015 and 20 other international � lm awards; nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes 2016

Ida (2013) Pawel Pawlikowski (Poland, Denmark)Lux Prize 2014, Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film 2015, and 62 other international � lm awards

Io sono Li (2012), Andrea Segre (Italy, France)Lux Prize 2012 and two other international � lm awards

When we leave (2010), Feo Aladag (Germany)Lux Prize 2010, Best Film at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival

73 %83 %

Festival participation

51 %45 %

Award

Source: European Women’s Audiovisual Network, Where are the women directors in European � lms?, 2015.

Gender share of overall festival participation and awards

Source: European Parliament, 2018.

Share of female � lm directors at cinema schools and in the � lm industry

Source: European Women’s Audiovisual Network, Where are the women directors in European � lms?, 2015.

This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and the European Parliament is given prior notice and sent a copy. © European Union, [email protected] (contact) http://www.eprs.ep.parl.union.eu (intranet) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank (internet) http://epthinktank.eu (blog)

EPRS And the prize goes to… European female filmmakers