The Berlin film festival presented a new study on Tuesday, revealing that progress towards gender equality in the UK film industry is moving at a slow pace.
The study, titled “Re-Framing the Picture,” analyzed 12,000 films produced from 2005 to 2020 across 34 countries. However, it specifically looked at the UK, Germany, and Canada in order to draw its findings.
These results were not positive: although there have been slight numerical improvements due to policy efforts, such as implementing diversity standards as a prerequisite for subsidies, there has been minimal change in power dynamics.
According to the report, a large majority of key creative roles in the UK (78%) and the network elite (81%) were filled by men. In Germany, the percentages were slightly lower at 74% and 86%, while in Canada they were 77% and 82%.
Based on the current rate of advancement, the UK is projected to reach a 50% division by 2085, Germany by 2041, and Canada by 2215.
According to Prof Deb Verhoeven from the University of Alberta, the report found that there are systemic issues at play which cannot be resolved solely through quota policies.
She stated that the film industry requires not only more women, but also women in key positions. Verhoeven also noted that the progress made by women and gender minorities has not been achieved at the cost of men, but rather through the growth of the industry without displacing men.
The report recommended that future policies should have effective systems for holding accountable, offering financial rewards, and actively promoting change within the industry.
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According to Prof Doris Ruth Eikhof from the University of Glasgow, the focus should be on implementing policies that hold industries accountable and are integrated into their practices. Blaming women for lacking experience or confidence will not lead to the necessary systemic changes. Instead, women should have access to influential roles within the film industry, rather than just being represented in the industry as a whole.
Source: theguardian.com
