“North Country was the most-important film for women to see in 2005, according to a survey released by New York Women in Film & Television. The film, in which Charlize Theron plays a miner who wins a landmark sexual harassment case, grabbed the top spot with 19 per cent of the vote, followed in order by the race-focused drama Crash, the dance documentary Mad Hot Ballroom, the gay-cowboy romance Brokeback Mountain and the cross-dressing dramedy Transamerica.
“As Hollywood gears up for Oscar season, the nonprofit women’s association also asked its 1,500 members to vote for the best female film director of 2005. In that category, Marilyn Agrelo, who helmed Mad Hot Ballroom, ranked first with 21 per cent of the vote, followed in order by Nicki Caro for North Country, Miranda July for the offbeat drama Me, You and Everyone We Know, Susan Stroman for the musical The Producers and Agnes Jaoui for the French-language film Look at Me.
“Though women have made monumental strides in the entertainment industry and are running more studios than ever before, female directors are still hitting that celluloid ceiling,” said Terry Lawler, executive director of the association, in a statement. “Our survey was designed to give women a way to support and bring attention to the works of women behind the lens; works that often are forgotten during Oscar season.”
“The percentage of female directors has dropped from 11 per cent in 2000 to seven per cent in 2005 for the 250 highest-grossing films, according to the association. Only three women have ever been nominated for an Oscar for best director: Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) in 2003, Jane Campion (The Piano) in 1993 and Lina Wertmuller (Seven Beauties) in 1976.”
