KLARA BAUTERS: Lisa Frey’s new film “Speak” is playing today at FIT. It's a short - just ten minutes. It embodies a man’s struggle with his feelings.
(trailer playing)
What does it mean to be a man?
What does it mean to be strong for others?
To support?
LISA FREY: “It's a film about being vulnerable. Uh, so letting, uh, yeah, dropping all the layers, all the masks we have in front of us. Uh, and really show ourselves. And then from the perspective of a man.
BAUTERS: Frey directed the movie. She says Being a female director has an impact on how she works. And, the actors aren’t used to a boss who’s a lady.
FREY: I'm very soft, so, uh, I'm not the bossy filmmaker who stands there like, do this, do this. I think this is also a strength to really, I really try to see my team. I really try to use the potential that is there instead of putting myself over on top of someone. Maybe also for some people, a new way of leadership.
BAUTERS: Women directors broke history this year in Best Picture nominations. 3 out of 10 movies were directed by women. Tina Colleen, a gender-fluid African-Caribbean filmmaker, says that’s not enough.
COLLEEN: I feel like the biggest thing is that the patriarchy is so powerful. But I think it’s also the fact that people who are not male, we want to share stories that are either ours or stories we don't normally see, which challenges the patriarchy, directly or indirectly.
BAUTERS: Both Frey and Colleen say they have had to endure barriers when trying to work in the film industry. For colleen it’s more than just using they/she pronouns.
COLLEEN: I think what has like, you know, been somewhat of a challenge, you know, as a director, um, specifically with identifies me is, um, the, the blend of my intersection, so it wasn't because we weren't only telling a black and brown story and we weren't only telling an LGBT story. We were telling both.
BAUTERS: Colleen’s film “I identify as me” is also playing at The Justice Film Festival. Her next step as director will be to turn the film into a series.
Klara Bauters, Columbia Radio News.
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