Kristen Stewart Expresses Fury Over Hollywood's Regression for Female Professionals
Kristen Stewart has stated she is “furious” that progress for female directors in Hollywood have reversed after a short-lived surge of positive change following the MeToo movement.
The Twilight star, who directed the forthcoming film The Chronology of Water, gave an impassioned address at a women’s luncheon in LA organized by the Academy behind the awards.
“The regression from a short period of advancement is statistically devastating,” she told the audience. “Such a pitiful number of films from the past year have been directed by female filmmakers.”
A yearly study that monitors the presence of women directors revealed that eleven of the top 100 films of 2024 were directed by women, a decrease from sixteen in 2020.
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During her speech, Stewart said: “In a post-MeToo moment, it seemed possible that narratives created by and for females were at last receiving recognition. That we could be permitted or even encouraged to share our views and our common stories, every aspect of our lives unfiltered.
“But I can now attest to the bare-knuckle brawling that it requires at each stage when the content is too dark, too taboo, when the honesty with which it presents insights about situations routinely experienced by women, frequently provokes aversion and dismissal.”
She continued: “We can discuss wage gaps and menstrual product taxes and measure [inequality] in lots of quantifiable ways. But the act of muting voices, it’s like we’re not even supposed to be angry. But I could devour this stand with a fork and [expletive] knife. I’m furious.”
The guests hearing Stewart’s speech included several prominent actresses.
Stewart was met with multiple ovations during the duration of her brief talk.
“I appreciate you,” she said. “I do not thank a male-centric industry framework that pretends to want to associate with us while siphoning our resources and belittling our true perspectives. Let’s try and not be tokenised. It’s time to create our own value.”
Upcoming projects from a few women filmmakers are among those for the forthcoming Oscars race, but the best director category is anticipated again to be male in majority.
