Women in Film – Role by Role, Changing Rules of the Game
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Women in film still play within a system that was not created for them – yet they are changing it, role by role, film by film. This was the key message of the discussion “Women’s Place in the Film Industry – Equal Opportunities?”, held within the FUNK Cinema program of the Festival of Art, Science and Culture of the University of Montenegro.
The audience heard sincere, sharp, and deeply reflective insights from four distinguished artists – Bojana Maljević, Marija Škaričić, Nada Šargin, and Marija Perović – who spoke about the real face of gender equality in film, behind the camera, in front of the camera, and in the classrooms of film academies.
The conversation was moderated by Professor Marija Perović, film director and professor at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of Montenegro.
“I think about the position of women in film through the characters in the films I have made, and those I am preparing – and, consequently, through the position of actresses. As a professor, I also think about the position of female directors through my students, whose number increases every year. On my films, there was never a question of quotas – I often did three jobs for the price of one, like most women, and that is not good. Until we secure the right to do our jobs as women, with all the advantages that come with that, we will not have equal opportunities. But art helps, because women are increasingly becoming creators, decision-makers, and key professionals. And because of that, the world – and the media’s influence on new generations – becomes more humane, warmer, and, I hope, better,” said Perović.
The event was a celebration of women’s persistence, intelligence, and creativity in the film industry, which still carries masculine patterns, interwoven with clips from films and TV series in which the panelists left their mark: The Debt to the Sea, The Mold, Mother of Asphalt, Breasts, Mare, The Storks Will Return, Tomorrow Morning, and It’s Not the End – illustrating the themes of the discussion.
“Although women in the film industry today have more visible roles than ever before, we still function within a system that is essentially male,” Bojana Maljević said, actress, producer, and professor at the FEFA Faculty in Belgrade.
“Our opportunities still largely depend on the decisions, tastes, and power of men who control processes and budgets. As an actress and producer, I know that every female position is shaped not only by talent but also by perseverance in a space not designed for us. Equal opportunities will not exist until women become equal decision-makers. Film, like life, changes only when the point of view changes – and we want a point of view filled with knowledge, good taste, and a serious vision of the importance of film, art, culture, and media in our society,” she added.
Speaking about the position of actresses in our region and abroad, Nada Šargin, actress and leading lady of the National Theatre Drama in Belgrade, noted:
“I often hear stories about how great French actresses are adored and nurtured by the film industry. Scripts are written for them, and almost all of them have music albums. As Marion Cotillard said: ‘My musician friend knew I needed to express myself through singing and music, so he invited me to perform at his concerts.’ They are loved and admired like goddesses. Here, we had the great Đorđe Karanović, who made films about women – The Petrija’s Wreath, The Virgin – and in other films, such as You Only Love Once, he portrayed strong and complex female characters, showing his deep interest in women’s nature and strength. Yet, women are still underrepresented in the film industry and often underpaid – as the great diva Milena Dravić pointed out long ago,” said Šargin.
“I am increasingly proud and happy to be a woman – perhaps because, with maturity, I’m finally beginning to understand what that truly means and what we are capable of. For centuries, the women before us fought for rights that were not granted to them. Things are better now, but far from complete. Achieving equal opportunities still requires effort and struggle – but the change is visible, it can be heard and felt, and we are living it,” concluded Marija Škaričić, actress and professor at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb.