Kristen Stewart Voices Anger Over The Film Industry's Regression for Women
Kristen Stewart has stated she is “furious” that progress for women in Hollywood have reversed after a short-lived surge of improvement post the MeToo movement.
The Twilight star, who directed the upcoming film her latest project, gave an emotional address at a female-focused event in LA organized by the Oscars organization.
“The regression from a brief moment of progress is alarming by the numbers,” she informed attendees. “Such a pitiful number 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 top 100 films of last year were directed by women, down from sixteen in the year 2020.
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In her address, Stewart said: “In a post-MeToo moment, it appeared likely that narratives made by and for women were finally getting their due. That we might be allowed or even supported to express ourselves and our common stories, all of our experiences unfiltered.
“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 serves up observations about experiences commonly faced by females, frequently provokes disgust and rejection.”
She added: “We can discuss wage gaps 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 can eat this podium with a utensil and sharp tool. I’m so angry.”
The guests hearing Stewart’s speech featured a number of well-known female stars.
Stewart was met with multiple ovations over the course of her brief talk.
“I am thankful to you,” she stated. “I am not grateful a male-centric industry framework that pretends to want to associate with us while siphoning our resources and belittling our true perspectives. We must avoid being used as tokens. It’s time to create our own value.”
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.