Melody Bridges, who is the co-editor of a book on female pioneers in cinema
‘The stories which we watch unfold - on the big screen, on our televisions and, more recently, on our phones and tablets - help shape the way we view the world (and the decisions we make). The people who make the films and programmes we watch therefore have a powerful influence on us. Sadly, a relatively small number are women.
They control what we see and male characters and heroes dominate the screen (even the crowd scenes). But it wasn't always so:
• Women of early cinema were both powerful and successful.
• But they have all but been expunged from modern history*.
*Melody is co-editor of an important work on female pioneers of early cinema - Silent Women - http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/en/Exhibitors/1574856/ Aurora-MetroSupernova-Books/ Products/937339/Silent- WomenPioneers-of-Cinema
The expunging of women from this history has had a profound influence on aspirations of younger generations of women, bereft of role models and tricked into thinking there is no precedent for their ambitions.; or who focus on screen roles rather than the power to be found behind the camera, as well as in others areas of production, distribution and transmission.
Work in schools is extremely important. Girls watch an average of 7 hours screened media every day. Such a workshop get them questioning who makes TV/film right now, and which voices/ faces do they see on screen and how representative is this. The response to these workshops thus far has been incredibly positive.’
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