Kristen Stewart Expresses Fury Over The Film Industry's Backsliding for Female Professionals
The renowned actress and filmmaker has stated she is “so angry” that advancements for female directors in Hollywood have gone backwards after a short-lived surge of positive change following the #MeToo era.
Stewart, who directed the upcoming film her latest project, delivered an emotional address at a female-focused event in Los Angeles hosted by the Oscars organization.
“The backsliding from a brief moment of advancement is statistically devastating,” she informed attendees. “A disappointingly low figure of films from the previous year have been directed by female filmmakers.”
An annual report that tracks the numbers of women directors revealed that eleven of the top 100 films of 2024 were helmed by female directors, a decrease from sixteen in 2020.
‘Boys’ Club Business Model’
During her speech, Stewart remarked: “In a post-MeToo moment, it seemed possible that narratives made by and for women were finally getting their due. That we might be allowed or even encouraged to express ourselves and our shared experiences, all of our experiences without filter.
“However, I can confirm to the intense struggle that it takes every step when the content is too dark, too taboo, when the frankness with which it presents insights about situations routinely experienced by women, often elicits aversion and dismissal.”
She added: “We can talk about wage gaps and taxes on tampons and measure [inequality] in lots of quantifiable ways. But the act of muting voices, it’s like we’re not allowed to feel rage. But I could devour this stand with a fork and [expletive] knife. I’m so angry.”
The guests hearing Stewart’s address included several prominent actresses.
Stewart was met with several rounds of applause during the duration of her seven-minute speech.
“I appreciate you,” she said. “I do not thank a boys’ club business model that claims to desire to hang out with us while siphoning our resources and diminishing our genuine viewpoints. We must avoid being used as tokens. Let’s start printing our own currency.”
Upcoming projects from a few women filmmakers are in the running for the next Academy Awards, but the top directing award is once again expected to be male in majority.
