The actress and director Expresses Fury Over The Film Industry's Regression for Women
Kristen Stewart has declared she is “so angry” that advancements for women in Hollywood have gone backwards after a brief period of improvement post the MeToo movement.
Stewart, who directed the upcoming film her latest project, delivered an emotional address at a female-focused event in Los Angeles organized by the Oscars organization.
“The regression from a short period of advancement is alarming by the numbers,” she told the audience. “A disappointingly low figure of films from the previous year have been made by women.”
An annual report that tracks the numbers of women directors revealed that 11 of the highest-grossing films of 2024 were directed by women, a decrease from 16 in 2020.
‘Boys’ Club Business Model’
In her address, Stewart said: “After the MeToo movement, it appeared likely that narratives created by and for females were finally getting their due. That we could be permitted or even encouraged to share our views and our common stories, all of our experiences without filter.
“But I can now attest to the intense struggle that it requires at each stage when the content is too dark, too controversial, when the frankness with which it serves up observations about experiences routinely experienced by women, often elicits disgust and rejection.”
She added: “We can discuss pay disparities and taxes on tampons and quantify the imbalance in lots of quantifiable ways. But the violence of silencing, it’s like we’re not allowed to feel rage. But I could devour this stand with a fork and [expletive] knife. I’m furious.”
The guests hearing Stewart’s address featured several prominent actresses.
Stewart was met with several rounds of applause over the course of her brief talk.
“I am thankful to you,” she stated. “I do not thank a male-centric industry framework that pretends to want to hang out with us while siphoning our resources and diminishing our genuine viewpoints. We must avoid being used as tokens. It’s time to create our own value.”
Upcoming projects from several female directors are among those for the forthcoming Oscars race, but the best director category is once again expected to be male in majority.
