‘We Have to Fight,’ Panelists Urge at Women in Film Roundtable at Venice Film Festival (VIDEO)

variety.com:

Ben Croll Seated before a photo of filmmaker Sarah Moldoror, panelists at this year’s Women in Film roundtable shared strategies for greater industry parity, while reflecting on recent successes and standstills in that ongoing pursuit.

Variety has been give access to the video of the panel discussion. Organized by Magaajyia Silberfeld and Winta Ghebre, and moderated by journalist and filmmaker Rahmatou Keïta, the Venice Film Festival roundtable brought together filmmakers Malgorzata Szumowska (“Woman Of”), Gina Kim (whose 3D-360 doc “Comfortless” screens in Venice Immersive), and Leila Basma (director of the Horizons-selected short “Sea Salt”), alongside set decorator Brandi Kalish (“The Killer”).

Moderator Rahmatou Keïta stressed the need for historical memory and for a greater degree of focus in order to prevent real gains from slipping into PR lip service.

Keïta made mention of the equality charter signed at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival before caustically pointing out that five years prior, back in 2013, France’s political and cultural leaders had already signed a nearly-identical parity in cinema charter. “A signature isn’t enough,” said Keïta. “As with anti-racist policies, there’s a lot of things we sign and that [lead to nothing more.] So we have to keep the flame lit at all times.