Half the Picture

Excellent portrait of Hollywood's current state, relative to women directors.

Entertaining and yet profound call for immediate change.

A must see.

"Half the Picture" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary that examines why not more woemn aren't directing films in Hollywood. As the movie opens, it is "2017 Cannes Film Festival", and a reporter asks this very question to the Cannes jury members. Jessican Chastain is all too happy to provide her perspective on it. The facts are clear: Hollywood movies are directly mostly by men, mostly white men. In the last 10 year years, 1045 men have directed a Hollywood film, and only 45 woman have. It absolutely blows the mind.

Director Amy Adrion interviews lots and lots of women who have been able to direct a Hollywood film, and the tales we hear are remarkably similar, time and again, Even if you are successful, it doesn't guarantee duture success (cue: Catherine Hardwick, whose "Twilight" was a mega-success, and yet she was dropped for the sequels; likewise for Penelope Spheeris, who directed the smash hit "Wayne's World" and promptly was dropped for thesequel, and on...). Midway through this film, we are minde dof this particular stat: in the 90+ years of Oscars, how many women directors have won? Exactly ONE. Sexism, discrimination, lack of access to finance, these are just some of the factors responsible for the lack of women directing Hollywood films. Others intreviewed for this include Gina Prince-Bythewood, Lucy Walker, Miranda July, Ava Duvernay, Nisha Ganatra, Jill Soloway, and more.

I recently stumbled upon this while surfing on peacock for a good documentary to watch. "Half the Picture" highlights how closely knit the Hollywood circle really is.Does anyone really believe that women are less capabale than men to direct a film? C'mon already.

Half the Picture was well-received in its regional premiere (after screening at Sundance) at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. Anyone who has followed film will have noticed the phenomenon of how few films are directed by women. Whereas 20% of Congress is now women, there have only been a mere 5 women nominated for an Oscar for Best Director. The question is "Why?" The film is mostly a talking head film in which female directors, sometimes eloquently, sometimes humorously, tell their stories about trying to make it in the ultimate "old boy's club." It is a personal and inspiring film, but seems to lack a clear explanation and direction of why sexism has held on so long to the Director's Chair in supposedly liberal Hollywood. It touches on some interesting questions without clearly exploring them. It touches on the idea of how this affects the nature of the final films but doesn't really explain it in detail. It touches on an explanation rooted less in outright sexism and more in an institutional sexism that prevents women directors from accessing financing but doesn't really dig into the issue. It touches on the history of women in cinema without fully exploring the roots of sexism in Hollywood and in the studio system as a whole Rather than just speaking to female directors, the film could have benefited by speaking to more film historians, academics, and legal who study the financing of the industry. That sort of approach could have given it more grounded scholarly focus. Oddly, the film suffers in that in trying to give women directors a voice that it never interviews a single man who might have offered supportive insight or a broader context for the deeper institutional issues. Half the Picture is inspiring, charming, and entertaining and yet it lacks depth and its scattershot approach itself only tells half the story that it could have.

Listen, I am all for equality in the workplace and anywhere else. It's not only the law, but it is fair. Black or white, man or woman, everyone has the right to be treated with respect and given opportunities to succeed. But, if audience appeal leans towards movies by men, what are studios supposed to do? They cant change the viewing habits and preferences of millions of people. If you want more women directing films, go out and convince the public to buy the product they are offering. It's a business. Ask yourself if you would throw away your livelihood to make a brief point? To be politically correct all the time. Everyone is comfortable going with the flow until it hits them in their own wallet. Stop crying and find a better way to achieve what you want...

This film played at Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival in Sarasota, Florida, as well as at the Sarasota Film Festival. At TWE it played to a sold out audience and was incredibly well received.

The film accurately and carefully documents the difficulty faced women directors. No surprise really, but still shocking in 2018. This is film which should be seen by every woman interested in film, whether you are in the film industry or a devoted movie goer.

Through Women's Eyes can recommend this film without hesitation!!!