In 1985, two American women developed a simple mechanism that would broadly determine if a particular movie values an independent female voice. Alison Bechdel and Liz Wallace’s Bechdel Test posited that, in order to pass, a movie must abide by the following stipulations: the film must include at least two female characters, two female characters must converse with each other and the content of the female characters’ conversation must revolve around a subject that does not involve a man. These characteristics were illustrated in cartoon strip by Bechdel, poking fun at one of the character’s requirements when choosing a movie to watch.
Regardless of its comedic origins, these relatively simple stipulations caused a ripple of questioning to follow. Why? Because nearly half of all films fail to meet all three requirements. With firm favourites such as The Lord of the Rings franchise or the original Star Wars trilogy failing to cement their ability to develop strong women characters, it begs the question: to what degree does the film industry continue to lack female representation, even this far into the 21st century?
Having women-led strands in the big festivals is brilliant to see, as are small festivals that give an alternative to the mainstream
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Dublin’s Feminist Film Festival aims to combat these qualms by hosting a weekend dedicated to empowering the female voice in film. Now in its third year, the festival was created in 2014 and is held at the reigns by Karla Healion. It is important to note that all profits will be donated to the Sasane charity, and the event staff is comprised entirely of enthusiastic volunteers, all dedicated to the two worthy causes. The festival has continued to make waves on the cultural scene in delivering a platform for women in film whilst raising funds for Sasane in Nepal. Speaking to The University Times via email, Healion emphasizes the gross underrepresentation of women and how she is resolved to use the Feminist Film Festival as an outlet to “screen and celebrate women behind, as well as in front of, the camera until that changes and become more equal”. She laments the abundance of male-dominated festivals and holds the firm belief that smaller, niche festivals are beneficial to change: “Having women-led strands in the big festivals is brilliant to see, as are small festivals that give an alternative to the mainstream such as the Worker’s Film Festival and Dublin Doc Fest.”
Gender imbalance has plagued many industries in recent years, yet considerable progress has been made to counteract the age-old suppression of women in reaching positions of power. For the film industry, a myriad of problems still exist, with gender inequalities embedded deep in its structural makeup. The Dublin’s Feminist Film Festival’s website notes that, in terms of employment in the top 2,000 highest-grossing films of the last 20 years, “women accounted for only 13 per cent of the editors, 10 per cent of the writers and just 5 per cent of the directors”. Women in front of the camera do not fare well either, with women accounting for just 30 per cent of speaking parts in films during 2013.
Healion maintains that, with time, it is visibility that will likely be the cornerstone of change: “Culturally, women are less confident and less supported in terms of opportunity. One of the huge things, I think, that helps to break down the barriers to success and aspiration is visibility.” In essence, with attention and visibility in the public sphere, acceptance and normalization dutifully follows. Watching Jennifer Lawrence trip when she accepted her Academy Award for Best Actress is admirable, but when we witness her struggle for payment deals that not only equals but exceeds her male counterparts, inspiration comes into play. It’s this normalisation of witnessing women on the same platform as men that has the potential to act as the key driver of change in film and industries elsewhere.
The lineup for this year’s Feminist Film Festival comprises of a refreshing catalogue of films celebrating the independent female voice. The programme begins on Friday, November 18th, with an exclusive screening of Jane Campion’s The Piano. On Saturday, November 19th, the Irish premiere of Amaka’s Kin: The Women of Nollywood, will be screened and accompanied by a Q&A with the Director, Tope Oshin. This will be followed by a panelist discussion of female voice in film. The panelists will be exploring topics such as the reasons female narration is a rarity as well as discussing whether fully-developed characters with complexities and characteristic intricacies are generally reserved for male roles in film.
It could be a figurative voice, such as a story told from a female point of view or the vision of a writer or director who might be considered a feminist voice from behind the camera
This year’s theme, “Othered Voices: The Female Voice on Screen”, brings a broad and nuanced direction to the programme. Healion first took interest in the concept because it allowed a defined theme without being too limited and because of how it could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. “It might be interpreted as a literal voice, where women are underrepresented and under-used in terms of cinematic devices like the ‘voice-over’, or it could be a figurative voice, such as a story told from a female point of view or the vision of a writer or director who might be considered a feminist voice from behind the camera.”
The film industry has a notorious reputation for remaining one of the most stagnant, unyielding cultural outlets, harbouring a deep-seated resentment towards the idea of change. Women in film have long been delegated the familiar role as two-dimensional characters, but other minority groups suffer equally, as was internationally demonstrated in the Academy Award’s boycott of earlier this year. Women have always had their own category in awards shows such as the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards. But perhaps this outward, seemingly equal setup has discreetly hidden the true inequalities in film. Women will always win awards, but the weight of their role and integrity of their character can be as little or as thwarted as the studios deem necessary. True representation is the most coveted award of all and, in that respect, it is one women have yet to win. Healion supports this notion and maintains that “it’s vital to strive for better representations of women and minority groups through interesting, fleshed out characters”. The old adage of people fearing what they don’t understand or, indeed, what they wish not to change by understanding, may still ring true. Platforms like Dublin’s Feminist Film Festival compartmentalises the continued delegation of women to second-in-command by revolutionizing a problem and funnelling it into a positive outlet. We’re on the right track, it will just take time and patience.
