Rowan Sullivan, Author at FilmRoot

Underplayed and the Importance of Diversifying Your Media Consumption

In 2019, only 5 of Billboard’s top 100 DJs were Women
Women make up less than 3% of the technical and production roles in the music industry
In the World’s top 150 clubs, the annual percentage of Female DJs is 6%

Underplayed explores how gender disparity and lack of diversity in electronic music happens, through the lens of the Female pioneers, next-generation artists, and industry leaders who are overlooked and/or tokenized instead of nurtured. It highlights a problem that is not only implicitly enforced in electronic music, but across all creative industries, especially the film industry.

Lack of Diversity in the Film Industry

Almost every year the Academy Awards faces scrutiny for its lack of diversity. The #OscarsSoWhite hashtag from 2015 prompted the Academy to diversify its voting body. The 2021 ceremony showed some promise with 9/20 actors going to People of Color and (an improved) two Women taking the 5 slots for Best Director with Chloe Zhao ultimately winning. However, based on the predictions for 2022, it looks like 2021 was an abnormality, rather than a sign that the Academy Awards are moving in the right direction. Just 4 out of the 30 contenders Variety have predicted for Best Picture are directed by Women (all of them are white) and just a handful are films directed by People of Color. Even the critics’ best of the year lists are all skewed towards white men, with 9/30 of Metacritic’s top films of the year directed by Women and 6/30 by People of Color. Instead, this year’s predictions are a list of familiar names: Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Paul Thomas Anderson, Aaron Sorkin, Adam McKay. They’re all easier to recognize because they’re who the film industry have celebrated and facilitated. Nominating their films are a less risky choice than nominating a brilliant debut film by a Woman and/or Person of Color that is often less supported by studios, cinemas, and audiences. These big names are also being floated this year, because they had the luxury to delay their releases to a year in which cinemas were open (and not closed because of the pandemic) – which could mean that the diversity at the 2021 awards was just an anomaly.

Just as it’s easy for electronic music festivals to keep slotting in the same famous male DJs into their lineups, it’s easy for critics and film Awards voters to pick the same familiar names – which are mostly white men. This is not because white men are the only people making films – they’re not – as per the Hollywood Diversity Report pictured below, 25% of the top 185 performing films of 2020 were directed by People of Color and 20% by Women. These figures are by no means where they should be, the film production industry should obviously put more Women and People of Color in all positions until they’re proportionally represented, but it gives us, the audience a chance to help.

The Importance of Diversifying Your Media Consumption

We have to acknowledge that we are also part of the problem. If we care about fixing it, we need to diversify our media consumption by matching our consumption with the population ratios we live in. This means choosing to watch one film directed by a Woman for every film we watch directed by a man and four films directed by People of Color for every ten films we watch.

Outside of U.S. films, it also means we should watch more international films, after all the U.S. makes up under 5% of the world’s population. Watch more films from Africa and the ‘Global South‘ (not my favorite term but one that gives an idea of which countries are underprivileged socioeconomically). The ‘Global South’ makes up roughly 75% of the world’s population but rarely make critics best of the year lists or receive awards nominations.

The hope is, that in diversifying our media consumption, we’ll change our favorite films. Watching more films from Women and People of Color gives them a chance to feature in our best of lists. It also alters the diversity of the films we talk about, and puts us in a position to critique any lackluster attempts of Award Ceremonies, Film Festivals, and Movie Theaters to represent the country and world we live in. We can put pressure on them to change, and level the playing field for all and open the door to everyone now and in the future.

So next time you’re browsing the streaming platforms, or trying to find a film to watch at the cinema, pick a film that isn’t directed by the white male director you’re already familiar with. Diversify your viewing habits. And if you think you’re already doing a good job, check the films you’ve watched in the past month or year – it doesn’t hurt to take a look. I for one, was way off track, which I’ve finally adjusted this year. Not only does it feel good supporting a wider range of filmmakers, but as an added bonus, a more diverse slate of films boosts your own film credentials by exposing you to a wider range of perspectives and film styles.

Diversifying your viewing habits supports diversity in the industry and makes you a better film watcher.

Hive – A Group of Widows Bond Against the Patriarchy and Grief

Hive Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

In Hive, a struggling widow starts making Ajvar to get by. Setting an example for self sufficiency, the town’s widows flock to her to share their grief and start healing. However their independence faces backlash from the patriarchy.

From: Kosovo, Europe
Watch: Trailer, JustWatch
Next: Writing With Fire, Beatriz' War, Shok

Hive – The Breakdown

Before watching Hive, all of the films I’d previously watched from Kosovo were affected by the Kosovo war. Whether directly or more indirectly, the trauma of the war that forged the country’s birth just over 20 years ago has never had a chance to heal.

Hive is no different. Fahrije’s husband has been missing for what might be years. Her father in law and two kids still believe he is alive. But she seems to believe he must be dead. Her face has been sucked of all emotion – as pointed out by her daughter – and she has started to move on. She visits mourning sites, such as the river where many local men were killed, and has also taken over some of her husband’s chores (bee keeping). She’s accepted his fate.

In addition to being a mother, Fahrije is forced to assume her husband’s role in his absence. So she seeks work to make a living in a neighboring town. However, she’s ostracized for behaving like a man with locals shooting her threatening stares and throwing bricks at her car and windows. Faithful wives aren’t supposed to learn how to drive and leave the house. In response, Fahrije also subconsciously takes on the stereotypical masculine emotions too, assuming an unemotional stoicism that confuses her kids. She hides her grief so deep to avoid dealing with it.

Her way out is not in independence through work but in company. Her successful Ajvar making business inspirationally brings together other widows together in community. They’re willing to sacrifice their honor because she’s taken the brave step to doing something about her situation and trying to move on.

What to Watch Next

If you’re looking for another inspirational story about a group of entrepreneurial women fighting the odds to succeed, try Writing with Fire. It features India’s only women-run news channel. Or if you’re looking for another story set within another traumatic event, Beatriz’ War follows a widow and her community fighting for freedom in East Timor. Or for more stories from Kosovo, try the tragic short, Shok, and feature film, Three Windows and a Hanging.

Holy Emy – AFI Fest 2021

Emy and her older sister Teresa live alone in Pireaus, the port City within greater Athens, after their mother is forced to return to the Philippines. They survive by avoiding the locals, attending church, and working at the local fish market. However, as their jobs fall through and Teresa grows more heavily pregnant, Emy seeks out Mrs. Christina to put her magical abilities to work. However, in coming out of hiding, Emy risks exposing her talents to the wrong people.

In Holy Emy, Emy and Teresa barely look old enough to care for themselves. They both look like teenagers but neither are in school – Teresa works at the local fish market, whilst Emy avoids most human contact now that her Mum has returned to the Philippines. It’s not clear why Emy didn’t return with her Mum. Perhaps her Mum thought she had enough support in Piraeus to stay whilst she returned home. She has her older sister, a neighbor that looks out for her (often condescendingly), and the support of the Filipino community at the local church.

The Filipino community is ‘othered’ in Holy Emy. All the Filipino characters are either overly devoted to Catholicism or have ancient powers which mimic Catholic Saints (hence the title). They’re also fetishized by the white characters in the movie. Teresa’s boyfriend keeps pointing out her Asian features when they’re making out, making it seem like he’s only into her because she looks exotic, whilst Mrs. Christina uses Emy, her mother, and other Filipinos for their magical abilities to heal people. There isn’t a reason why just the Filipinos have these old-world powers, which makes them appear even more exotic to the white characters. These defining characteristics fetishize the Filipinos in Holy Emy build up their ‘otherness’ vs. the white Greeks and Greek society.

Emy’s character in particular feels problematic. Her character, even more so than the rest of the Filipino community in this film, is made to seem unusual. She hardly speaks throughout the movie and is often pictured giving people creepy horror-film stares. Without a voice, she’s defined by her magical abilities: her ability to cry blood, heal, and control people through her touch and thoughts. Her silence and unusual abilities turn her into an old-world exotic fetish. Her character is just used as a tool to shock the audience and demonstrate her otherness. She, like the Filipino community in Holy Emy, are made to appear from another world – their magical powers and religious fervor don’t fit within modern Greek society. They’re fetishized for the sake of the quirkiness of this art-house body-horror.

Head to our AFI Fest 2021 Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2021.

Best Shorts AFI Fest 2021 – Four of the Most Memorable Short Films

Just like the 2020 edition of AFI Fest, AFI Fest 2021 had some great shorts available to view on the online platform throughout the duration of the festival. This year’s mix ranged from multi-media animation featured in Love, Dad and H.A.G.S. to documentaries about death (The Death Cleaner), and travelled from Singapore (Strawberry Cheesecake) to Sudan (Al-Sit). Here are four of the Best Shorts from AFI Fest 2021. Look out for them on streaming platforms and other film festivals in the near future.

Best Shorts AFI Fest 2021

Love, Dad (Czech Republic)

In Love, Dad, the director Diana Cam Van Nguyen finds some letters of love her estranged dad wrote years ago. She uses a mix of styles to help process her emotions. The quickly narrated diary style gives the film a constantly moving stream-of-consciousness to keep her emotions flowing whilst the mixed-in animation allows her to speak about her relationship with some emotional distance. Much like last year’s winner Tiger and Ox in which a daughter identifies with her strict mother through animation, Van Nguyen manages to forgive her absent dad with the help of the comfort of animation.

Zonder Meer (Belgium)

Zonder Meer perfectly captures youthful summer holiday vibes at a Belgian camp-site. The camerawork brings us down to 5 year old Lucie’s innocent kid curiosity and the grainy colors give off a nostalgic warmth. However, the patient editing and 360 audio gradually expose us to the tragedy unfolding on the edge of Lucie’s consciousness: a boy has disappeared and may have drowned. Whilst Lucie quietly continues her explorations with other kids her age, the adults, unprotected from reality worry for the missing kid and their family.

Her Dance (Israel)

Bar Cohen’s Her Dance follows Aya, a Trans Woman, as she surprises her sister and Orthodox Jewish family at their house on Shabbat night. Because of her appearance, she’s met with scorn by her mother and sidelined by her family. However, the more she’s pushed away, the more determined she feels to stay. This lends an uneasy tension to the short which culminates in a memorable dancing scene (pictured above) and duel with her mother amongst a cheering circle of guests.

BabyBangz (U.S.)

Anastasia Ebel’s BabyBangz captures a hairdressing salon in New Orleans specializing in natural hair. While this might sound pretty mundane, this is no ordinary hairdressing salon. These hairdressers offer a complete experience, offering you world advice of a therapist and educational lessons with book recommendations in addition to a unique haircut. The tone of the movie matches the inspiring content. It features ethereal piano scales layered into the soundtrack (much like in Garrett Bradley’s Time) and an artistic mix of close ups and people living in and around the salon mimicking the style of Khalil Joseph. Both the salon and the film will inspire you to start something.

Head to our AFI Fest 2021 Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2021.

Medusa – AFI Fest 2021

Medusa is another genre-bending movie set in contemporary Brazil (see Bacurau, Good Manners, Executive Order, or Divine Love) that corresponds with the rise in the far right and radical Christianity in Brazil. The focus of this film is on how the patriarchy is upheld by radical Christian women

In modern day Brazil, a woman watches a sexy music video of a woman dancing on her way home on the night bus. When she gets off, she’s tailed by a gang of masked women. She tries to escape, but can’t. They gang up on her, beat her up, and force her to swear fealty to Jesus and to become a good Christian woman.

The attackers are Mariana and her female friends from the local evangelical church. Their horror-genre influenced masks are obviously intimidating. However, behind the mask they’re even more sinister. Instead of carrying faces that show years of trauma and fear they carry pristine smiles and clean pastel clothes. They look like a group of preppy high-school girls and not like your typical group of thugs. Their smiles and matching identity give them a cold collective assuredness that their violence is right and justified, when it isn’t. It also highlights a lack of individuality stemming from the strict codes of their social bubble – no one wants to stand out for fear of being identified with the other, so they all try to one-up each other in their devotional acts in order to maintain their social position. They’ve already started beating up people in the street, so what are they capable of next?

The design of the film makes it clear Mariana is brainwashed by her bubble of existence. The church she attends with her friends is flavored with hypnotizing 80’s music and dystopian neon lights and features coordinated song and dance routines that make them look robotic. Plus the microphone holding, slick talking, smartly dressed preacher gives off hints of snake oil salesmen before we see his ‘miracles.’ The whole radical Christian experience is designed to indoctrinate Mariana and her friends. Plus as a reward, they get friends like them, and corresponding male counterparts in the beefy ‘Watchmen’ group that attends their same church.

Problem is they can’t control everything in their own lives. They’re still victims to the patriarchy that plays them – both represented in the male religious pastor they fervently follow and the male ‘Watchmen’ they’re expected to date and marry. They can either continue to live for the radical Christian patriarchy and stay in their bubble, or break free by expanding their bubble until it pops.

Head to our AFI Fest 2021 Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2021.