BFI appoint Munroe Bergdorf as keynote speaker for #womanwithacamera summit

[SunsetBeetch]

This is just getting flipping ridiculous now. Munroe has made one very recent, very shoddy documentary.

Thrilled to be opening the @BFI #WomanWithAMovieCamera Summit to talk about feminism, power and culture.

t.co/gBU9fTCD7l

Petitions are great but what we really need to see as the next step is women boycotting these events when their views and their issues are ignored.

Signed the petition too!

This is how patriarchy works, though, isn't it? One man who has made one film is deemed to be more expert on the matter of women and film-making than any woman who has made multiple films and is an actual film maker.

I have my disagreements with Germaine Greer - don't we all - but when she said "Women have very little idea of how much men hate them" she knew whereof she spoke.

It is fascinating how frequently this kind of thing is happening. Anyone would think women (biologically speaking) were so scarce now they have to rope in trans people

Yes, as thebewilderness said

What a relief it must be for the men to no longer have to treat women as equals. Descrimiation against women in the name of equality is effing brilliant.

Thats what it comes down to. Thats why its happening so much.

Women have had rights for too long now apparently, time to put them back into their boxes. And what better way to do it that deciding that male people actually are female? That way the 'better' male women can get the awards for women, can win in womens sport, and will count in the 'gender pay gap' to even things out so it looks like there is no difference, and can even decide on which laws to do with womens rights can be rolled back. Its disgusting misogyny, and made out to be progressive. And many are falling for it too.

At the top of the event program:

Feminism needs to include everyone. We welcome activist and model Munroe Bergdorf, who has recently debuted her documentary What Makes A Woman, which examines the changing world of gender and identity, to talk about what power means for sisterhood, feminism, culture and activism

Feminism does not need to include everyone. That's not feminism, the clue is in the name, FFS! Feminism is about women, not everyone.

'Lots of people speaking out on Twitter. They aren't holding back now'

That's really good to hear

'I have my disagreements with Germaine Greer - don't we all - but when she said "Women have very little idea of how much men hate them" she knew whereof she spoke.'

So true. I remember reading that quote years ago and thinking it was more than a bit hysterical, but she was absolutely spot on, and it gets proved on a daily basis at the moment.

As someone who works in this area I would suggest that the open letter equally emphasises Bergdorf’s relative lack of experience. To me it’s just as offensive as her appropriation of feminism that her shoddy documentary received such attention, and is now being gilded by this keynote appearance.

No woman would have got those opportunities so easily.

Hey GeordieTerf, at what event last night? Thanks!

@samanthastephens

At the 'Inconvenient Women' event in London. Someone suggested it and got a huge cheer. I don't know if it's being organized though.

I’ve signed the petition. Horrifying. Could they really not find a single woman involved in film to talk ? MB has no credentials at all for this talk, not on film, or on womanhood, or womanhood in relation to film.

Yes, women, boycott this event. Sad as I love the BFI.

Okay - here is the link to the petition to sign - please share widely

www.ipetitions.com/petition/open-letter-to-the-bfi

samanthastephens
Thread here discussing the event last night:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3269679-inconvenient-women-wntt

recording of the event can be watched:
www.facebook.com/DRradfem/videos/2157764721109127/

Signed

What a relief it must be for the men to no longer have to treat women as equals. Discrimination against women in the name of equality is effing brilliant.

This! They have another of their species who will conform to their sexual entitlement demands

I am really genuinely heartened to see the response on twitter. People are stepping forward to say how angry they are and how unfair it is.

There was a stage in my life many years ago when I was passionately interested in film. I wanted to be a director or an editor - particularly the latter actually. I spent some time working in the industry but walked away thinking it was just about impossible to be female and successful. Very very view females get to direct films. This is an appalling decision by the BFI. Especially after #metoo and Weinstein

Agree gendercritter
Apart from anything else Bergdorff is a hopeless speaker, really not very bright. So doesn’t even qualify on the brilliant speaker score.
So depressing, all the brilliant women out there, trampled into the dust.

I wonder whose genius idea this was...'I know, let's pick someone who's not a filmaker or female!'
It's getting silly now but this and Ian Huntley might turn the tide.

Feminism needs to include everyone.

Sigh.

Petition signed

Well, I for one will be quite interested to hear what Munroe has to say. Not interested enough to actually attend, but invested enough to want to hear her experiences of growing up a girl wanting to work in film, overcoming sexist behaviour and the norm that women don’t work behind the camera and what the future holds for women and girls post #Metoo.
As a person chosen to make the BFI look inclusive and in touch, I fully expect her speech to be ... thin, ill-informed and mostly all about herself and her own saga. She won’t have much to say about women’s experiences in general and I will be interested to see how BFI spin that.

'It's getting silly now but this and Ian Huntley might turn the tide.'

I really hope so. Have signed petition

It would send a strong message if at a given signal near the beginning of the talk, all the women in the audience could stand, and walk out to the women's toilets. Thereby ensuring drama queens can't run into them crying.

Little update for you:

"The @BFI has been allocating @TNLUK @LottoGoodCauses Film Funds on the grounds of "gender". Gender/identity/expression/presentation are not protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 or the GRA 2004.
It may be necessary to look into their funding to ensure legality. t.co/SvoN7JSrB7"

Link to that tweet

twitter.com/JerikoGenie/status/1007312953148833793?s=19