Why Natalie Portman Wants A Woman To Direct The Ruth Bader Ginsburg Biopic
Natalie Portman is set to take on the role of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the biopic about the Supreme Court Justice who made the Times 100 Most Influential People list. Outspoken feminist Portman wanted a woman to direct the biopic, according to Ginsburg herself. The legendary icon explained Portman’s reason for wanting a female director at the American Constitution Society conventional panel on Saturday.
What was Natalie Portman’s reason for wanting a woman to take on the role as director? Simply because there aren’t enough female directors in Hollywood, let alone in the film industry.
“Natalie Portman came to talk to me about [the film landing a female director], and we had a very good conversation. And one thing, interesting, that she insisted on, it held up the project for a while. She said, ‘I want the director to be a woman. There are not enough women in this industry. There are many talented out there.’ And now they do have a woman director.”
There have been several talks and negotiations about who’s going to work on the movie. Most of the negotiations have been delayed because of Portman’s decision to have a female director. Back in May, it was reported that Marielle Heller, director of The Diary of a Teenage Girl, would direct the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic. However, the director has not been officially announced.
This comes on the heels of the news that the ACLU would begin a civil rights investigation into the lack of female directors in the film industry. They were asked by the federal government to see if there’s discriminatory hiring practices. Last year, women only directed 7 percent of the top 250 grossing films. Thanks to powerful names like Portman, this issue is finally being looked into.
Portman has spoken out about her views on feminism back in 2013. She says that the roles for women should be varied. Portman also added that women shouldn’t be created for the male gaze.
“I don’t think that’s necessarily feminist to see women like we see men in movies. Just having a range of different ways women can be – whether it’s weak and strong, just being human and being real, and not just being some fantasy of a male writer – is more feminist than she ‘knows how to do kung fun.'”
In her interview with Elle U.K. during that same year, Portman talked about the need for more female narratives that feature all kinds of stories.
“The fallacy in Hollywood is that if you’re making a ‘feminist’ story, the woman kicks ass and wins. That’s not feminist, that’s macho. A movie about a weak, vulnerable woman can be feminist if it shows a real person that we can empathize with.”
What are your thoughts on Natalie Portman’s decision to have a female director for the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic? Do you think she has a point? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
[Image: Dave Kotinsky / Getty Images]
