In recent years Hollywood has embarked on a long and arduous journey that should lead to a much more equitable industry regardless of gender. Beyond contests that propose inclusion requirements in order for films to compete, studios seem to be striving to reverse the climate of inequality, with organisms as valuable as Celluloid Ceiling, promoted by the University of San Diego, to monitor what these measures are holding. According to media such as Deadline, the 2020 study has already been carried out with very positive results, which far exceed the data from previous editions.
2020 has been a catastrophic year for film exhibitions
it remains to be seen if the consequences are not irreparable but in other areas, it has found optimistic scenarios, as witnessed by the recent box office success of Wonder Woman 1984, directed by Patty Jenkins. According to Celluloid Ceiling now in its 23rd year, 18% of the most successful films of the year are directed by women, a record having been broken compared to 13% in 2019 and, of course, 8% in 2018. Figures Encouraging, but pale when we weigh their counterpart: it means that 80% of movies are directed by men.
The study also addresses the work of women in other areas and in 2020 there were 28% of female producers 21% of executive producers 18% of editors 12% of screenwriters, and only 3% of cinematographers. The count of female editors and writers is down from last year and research points to a telling trend Many films with women in directing positions have other women on their writing staff. In fact, compared to 8% of films directed by men with minimal parity in their team 53% of these films subscribe to this trend.
They are figures, in short, that must be taken with measure since although they allude to a possible paradigm shift in Hollywood they do not cease to illustrate at the same time a congenital inequality. In fact, 67% of the films screened did not have any women in important positions, while 70% had ten or more men in these jobs. The imbalance is impressive lamented Martha Lauzen one of the promoters of the study. Most of the movies employ fewer than 5 women and 10 or more men. Will the situation improve anything this year with movies like Black Widow and Eternals which have Cate Shortlandand Chloe Zhao as directors.