Letter to BFI

[Agerbilatemycardigan]

This is an excellent letter written by Deidre O'Neill and Julian Vigo, to the BFI regarding their invitation of Munroe Bergdorf to be their keynote speaker, and the subsequent no-show.

Excellent. Has anyone from here written to BFI? I'd like to get involved in some of these campaigns but have no idea where to start really.

From the letter.

'' What we dispute is that being a woman is a ''feeling''. Rather, it is a social and historical reality that has resulted in most of us not being the subject of television specials about our bravery. ''

:Mic drop:

That is a fucking brilliant letter.

I added my name and comment to the petition and shared it as widely as possible. It's amazing what we can do when we all pull together.

I had to find my glasses to read that - it was well worth it!

They also refer to Monroe as 'he'

Excellent letter.

An important letter that raises many good points.

I also think that it's interesting in terms of the "transwomen are women" mantra, because the BFI are obviously not treating Monroe as a woman, they were engaged purely on the basis of being trans, not on the basis of being a woman. Weird tokenism.

Excellent letter

OP

What organisation are the authors of that letter representing?

Julian's a filmmaker and Deidre's a corporate CEO. Both are women in male dominated industries.

They are not representing an organisation.
They are independent female directors, producers, screenwriters who have experienced their fair share of sexism and understand the importance of fighting for equal representation in the film industry.

Unlike MB who hasn't even made films.

it's fab

I'd love to see it in a newspaper.

The entire film industry's gone mad

www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/new-diversity-requirement-film-awards

Great letter. I love both women. I'm sure lots of women here will know Julian but it's worth bigging up Dee too. She is @deeinsidefilm on Twitter and she is a film maker working on important topics of inequality - foodbanks, access to acting for working class people, etc. I've contributed to crowd funds for projects she's been involved in. Why is Dee ignored by BFI in favour of Munroe - a person famous for being famous and who has no interest in "widening the lens" for anyone but Munroe?

They've both got many strings to their bows.

Two very talented and mightily pissed off women.

terfulike should someone let BAFTA know that gender is not a protected characteristic?

There's such a long list of organisations that need telling unfortunately.

Am proud to call one of these women a (Facebook) friend.

Brava! Or is it bravi?

So glad they called the subject by the correct sex.

Wish we had not given them an inch right at the beginning.

Fab letter. Let it embolden us!

Go forth and complain, ladies!

That’s a great letter.

I'm confident enough now, to call out anyone that conflates gender with sex. Thanks to all of the fabulous women that have been an inspiration and an education for me.

That is a very good letter. All the pertinent points raised clearly.

Killer last line! Brilliant letter. Much better than the petition wording, in fact.

Wow, they are fantastic letter writers! I'm interested to read the response when it finally comes. Sick of idiots giving women's places to inadequate men and then patting themselves on their backs for being so progressive.

Well worth a read.... I am SO GLAD that organisations like the BFI are being QUITE so stupid - painful for the many BUT.... peak-transes so many people in one fell swoop....