Throughout history, the role of women in society has been changing, evolving and, in recent years, the debate on feminism in today's societies has become extremely relevant. Movements that seek to achieve equality between men and women or that question the patriarchal system that has prevailed for centuries are the order of the day.
Cinema is no stranger to this debate as it has contributed discourses on the representation of the female figure, generally accompanying or reflecting the reality. Stories have been told exclusively for male audiences, portraying women as objects of desire, fantasy or highlighting the idea of being the "weaker sex". But little by little, cinema is trying to adapt to this new discourse that puts women on an equal footing with men, seeking empowerment and having a voice of their own. Many women directors have even emerged -something that was not so common for the industry- who are leaving an imprint and point of view to the stories they want to tell.
For example, in On The Basis of Sex, we see Felicity Jones playing Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first female justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court and advocate for gender equality. Armie Hammer plays Martin Ginsburg - her husband- and who accompanied (albeit with some ups and downs) his wife in this struggle. The film shows how difficult it was at that time for a woman to be a mother while having a college career, something that was thought to be almost impossible at that time. A woman's story, directed by another great woman: Mimi Leder. Relive the trailer here.
Another example of empowered, strong women who are determined to fight for what they want is Peppermint, where Jennifer Garner seeks revenge on her family's murderers. Likewise, The 355, is about a group of spies from different parts of the world played by Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Lupita Nyong' o and a mysterious woman - Bingbing Fan – who will try to save the world from a deadly weapon that threatens to destroy humanity. Watch the trailer.
These last two examples are roles that several years ago were reserved exclusively for men, who were the figures that represented the strong, the masculine, the superheroes capable of facing and surviving anything. Of course, this representation is still there, as for example in Greenland starring Gerard Butler who tries to save his family from an asteroid that will impact the earth, but somehow the film also gives prominence to and puts the female figure on equal footing. In this case, his co-star Morena Baccarin is not left behind and has an important role in the story to achieve that goal.
Surely as society evolves, we will continue to witness changes in the film industry as well.
We welcome them!
