From left, Monika Gruetters, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, festival director Dieter Kosslick, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender pose for the media on the red carpet for the film ‘Brecht’ at the 2019 Berlinale Film Festival on Saturday.—AP
From left, Monika Gruetters, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, festival director Dieter Kosslick, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender pose for the media on the red carpet for the film ‘Brecht’ at the 2019 Berlinale Film Festival on Saturday.—AP

BERLIN: The Berlin Film Festival has made a pledge to promote gender equality, taking the first step towards that goal by screening almost an equal number of movies directed by women as by men.

Out of the 400 films to be screened at this year’s Berlinale, almost half have female directors.

“We still have a lot to do to achieve gender equality,” said festival chief Dieter Kosslick, who on Saturday signed the pledge to promote more women in the film industry.

The festival will aim to have more women in its jury, film line-up and staff.

Of the 17 films competing for the Golden Bear award this year, seven have female directors.

“We never had this in our history, and it proves that it was the right decision,” said Kosslick.

Gale Anne Hurd, producer of hits like “Terminator,” “Aliens” and “The Walking Dead” said the gender equality pledge sends a signal that the film industry needs to change so that successful female directors and producers are no longer exceptions.

“The Berlin festival is actually doing much better than let’s say Venice or Cannes,” said Hurd, the special guest at this year’s event.

“Sometimes you have to shame people into doing the right thing, I don’t necessarily believe that that’s the best thing, which is why this initiative is encouraging people,” she said.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.