Do we ever wonder if there were male characters in a movie who talked to each other about something other than a woman? Probably not, but if we review the same situation with female characters, we discover that in most of the best picture nominees, they have little dialogue that is not about men.
From Grow we make visible the symbolic violence from the Bechdel test. This is an informal test that allows us to analyze the picture more clearly. Movies pass the test when: 1. there are at least two named female characters, 2. they talk to each other, 3. about something other than a male, 4. for more than one minute. We add this last variable from Grow – Gender and work, since otherwise, there would be films that would show it for the simple fact that one woman asks another where the bathroom is. In this way, the test allows us to open questions about what stories are told and about the roles that women occupy in them.
Despite the simplicity of the test and how little it requires, this year only (20%) 2 of the 10 nominees for Best Picture at the Oscars manage to overcome it: “King Richard: A Winning Family” and “Coda”. This number is the youngest in the last 5 yearsand was only matched in 2019. At the same time, of 45 films nominated in 5 years, only 33% manage to overcome it.
Despite this setback, the 2022 edition is the first in 5 years where we see at least two named women in every movie. When we go to see if they talk to each other, we lose on the way to “The power of the dog, and if we add that the conversation is about a topic that is not related to a man, only 60% (6 out of 10) remain. The most difficult test to pass seems to be that of time, since in this way we arrive at the aforementioned 20%.
Symbolic violence in the cinema
We would never ask ourselves if what worries and motivates the male characters goes beyond their female counterparts, because historically their stories were seen much more in cultural expressions. It is symbolic violence.
According to Law 26,485 on the Comprehensive Protection of Women, symbolic violence “is one that through stereotyped patterns, messages, values, icons or signs transmits and reproduces domination, inequality and discrimination in social relations, naturalizing the subordination of women in society”.
The film industry has a great responsibility in the construction of these discourses and their reproduction. In recent years we have seen how the stories of women and people of other gender identities began to take center stage and interest, but these efforts will be insufficient until they appear equally.
In our annual campaign, from Grow we choose to make visible the different areas in which symbolic violence is reproduced, to begin to identify it, stop naturalizing it and promote a society free of violence.
Communications coordinator for Grow, gender and work
www.generoytrabajo.com
Source: Ambito
