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Long before Meryl Streep – who made a sharp speech against the gender pay gap in film – other women fought for equal working conditions in this industry. A defense that all of them faced in the best way they knew how: working in productions of notable success and, above all, with an important lesson in the arguments.
They brought a new look to the big screen or, at least, unknown until now, since the territory of the cinematographic arts and sciences was dominated by the male presence. Not even actresses enjoyed leading roles in the films they starred in (nor did being the only actress in the cast make you worthy of justified prominence).
Even before the so-called ‘classic Hollywood’, where some actresses have already begun to rebel against the Academy in search of front-line roles, as did Marilyn Monroe and half achieved in Temptation lives above (1955), other women in front of and behind the camera managed to include great achievements in their careers. And that, in the case of Monroe, Billy Wilder He helped that wish –logical– come true, being one of the first Hollywood directors to make the female role in his films the most important ingredient in his films.
To talk about the women who changed the future of cinema, we must start by remembering figures who from within the industry, and beyond the role of actress, allowed women to have their own voice with jobs leading the direction and production of films, responsible for setting and sound, and promoters of feminist cinema. The first pioneers in a cinema that today brings the discourse of equality to the award galas.
Alice Guy-Blaché (1873-1968) was the first person in the history of cinema to create a fictional short film, The cabbage fairy (1894), now considered the first narrative film. This work led her to be the first female filmmaker. Before the arrival of Hollywood as a film mecca, in 1910 she founded, together with her husband, the production company The Solax Company. She directed more than 400 films and was the first to shoot a film with African American cast. Her role in the industry was essential, despite the fact that most of her jobs were attributed to her husband.
Lois Weber (1879-1939) has gone down in history as the first person to represent auteur cinema and one of the first to work with sound. In her professional career she has had more than 100 silent films, almost all of them from the female point of view and with highly controversial arguments, since they dealt with issues related to social and humanitarian issues, alcohol and drug addiction. She was also the first woman to direct a feature film (1914) and to bring female nudity to the screen (1915). Her big leap came in 1917 when she created and directed her production company Lois Weber Productions (Guy-Blaché was a pioneer, but she founded it together with her husband).
Esfir shub (1894-1959), a pioneer in journalistic documentaries, was one of the few directors of the industry within the Soviet Union. The fall of the Romanov dynasty it was his first project (1927).
Dorothy Arzner (1897-1979) made the leap from silent to talkies that Lois Weber had already started. Among her challenges achieved is having been the first Hollywood director (1927, with The queen of fashion), having launched the careers of actresses like Katherine Hepburn and being the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America.
Margaret Booth (1898-2002) edited films for Hollywood and in 1935 was nominated for an Oscar for The tragedy of the Bounty. She stood out for being the promoter of the invisible cutting technique, video editing that makes simple transitions between shots.
Charlotte Reiniger (1899-1981) was a pioneering German director in silhouette animation. His contribution to the cinema was so influential in the history of the industry, that his technique and style were used in productions as well known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Maya Deren (1917-1961) put the movement into action avant-garde during the 1940s by firmly believing that cinema was an experience and had to be lived as such. To do this, he put his knowledge of stage design and dance at the service of cinema, and combined them with philosophical disciplines.
Agnes Varda (1928-2019) stood out for her incipient work in the cinema made by women and feminist cinema. More than 40 projects endorse his history, marked by an experimental style until he won an honorary Oscar in 2017.
Margot Benacerraf (1926) is one of the best-regarded film directors thanks, among other reasons, to her great work as a defender of the need for cultural training. Together with Gabriel García Márquez, he created Fundavisual Latina, a foundation designed to promote the audiovisual arts.
Maryse Alberti (1954) is known for her work in independent productions and her photographic direction. Enjoy over 90 credits as a big screen photographer.
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