Zum Start des ersten Frauenfilmfestivals in Großbritannien fragt der Guardian, warum es so wenig weibliche Regisseure in der Filmwelt gibt und lässt verschiedene Frauen und Männer aus dem Business zu Wort kommen: Why are women directors such a rare sight?

“I haven’t been directed by a woman. I’d love to be; it would make a big difference. Often as an actress you can feel very alienated, especially if you are playing the female lead in a male-dominated cast and environment. It’s very hard to feel relaxed, to feel able to express yourself and to feel that you will be heard in that kind of environment.

The other area that is really important to get women involved in – even more than directing, I think – is writing. Everything starts in the writing, and getting more and more women’s perspective in the writing will have a huge impact on the quality of films we get. At the moment, we don’t really see women as we see ourselves and as we really are because it’s only men writing for us.

I’ve read a lot of scripts where I’ve thought: “No women would ever say that! No woman would ever behave like that!” Women are put into these categories of bitch, mother or sex symbol. If we had more women writing we would have a more realistic representation of what it’s like to be a woman.”