Women's Representation in International Cinema Spaces

Written By: Keerthana RaviKumar

Edited By: Nikitha

Image Credits: https://www.pexels.com/search/cinema/

The role of women in cinema both on and off screen has mirrored the society throughout the decades. But does the representation of women in cinema reflect society or has society assigned the roles to be played by women?

If we look back into the early years of cinema, women were often relegated to roles that were secondary to male protagonists. This often-involved damsel in distress, the love interest or the nurturing mother. These characters were written to have a monotonous thought process and were portrayed as the epitome of traditional values. The same lack of progress was prominent even during the golden ages of Hollywood and Bollywood. As time progressed the feminist movement of the 1970s began to challenge traditional representation leading to more complex and varied roles for women. Women filmmakers like Agnes Varda contributed to a more diverse story telling.

Image Credits: https://en.vogue.me/culture/red-sea-international-film-festival-vanity-fair-arab-women-cinema-pictures/

Since the early 2000s, the increasing number of female directors and writers began to change the landscape. Female characters were given complex layers of emotions, a strong voice and thoughts to match. Mainstream cinema still struggled with pay parity on screen and behind the scenes during this decade. 

The contemporary representation of women is diverse and significant. While progress has been made, women are still underrepresented in key roles such as directors, writers and producers. Steps are being taken to highlight these disparities and being pushed for greater inclusion by critical players like the Geens Davis Institute.

The rise of streaming platform has provided more opportunities for diversified storytelling as these platforms often take more risks with content. Women of Color, LGBTQ+ women and other marginalized groups still face great challenges in terms of representation and opportunities. Representation should not shrink into a bubble of token roles, the quality of characters being represented must be a strict parameter.

But movies are just a form of entertainment should representation and quality of representation really matter? Cinema is undeniably a form of entertainment which is powerful and provides escapism to millions worldwide. Movies also shape cultural perceptions and attitudes. They can introduce new ideas, challenge beliefs and influence public opinion. This duality of cinema makes it an essential part of modern society. Hence, the quality of output is critical in how genders are viewed and the lasting aftertaste that cinema leaves us can spread to other spheres of our lives as well.

Image Credits: https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/6/125983/Women-in-Film-Industry-How-the-Patriarchy-Slowed-the-Progress