Greta Gerwig explains that intimacy coordinators “make perfect sense”
Following the rampant success of her latest film Barbie, the filmmaker Greta Gerwig has been discussing the importance of creating a safe and inclusive working environment on set.
Barbie was hailed for its progressive feminist take and its commentary on the current climate upon release. When discussing how the film tapped into the #MeToo movement, Gerwig comment, “[I’m] luckier than a lot of people in terms of not having truly traumatic things happen.”
Adding: “That being said, there’s plenty of stuff that happened in my life, when I look back at it. I’m like, wait a minute. That was not okay. Just a million little things. It almost didn’t register. Which might be generational, you know?”
She told Variety about the leaps Hollywood has made recently in trying to address the issue. “I think one substantive change is intimacy coordinators. They make perfect sense. It’s like a fight choreographer. Nobody would ever say, ‘Just take these swords and see what happens, just duel a little and see where the spirit takes you.’ That’s insane.”
She continued: “Aside from being a woman, the parallel world I see is getting stuck in some whirlpool of development where you never get out, you never get the thing made or find the right champions. I’ve been extremely lucky that I’ve managed to be supported by the system and not eroded by the system.”
Intimacy coordinators have been a hot topic within the industry of late after Sean Bean commented that this “inhibit” an actors “natural” performance. We asked for a response from intimacy coordinator Haruka Kurado and film industry professional Sherilyn Oliphant who commented: “Actors can still be spontaneous, the intimacy coordination just ensures the cast and crews safety and well-being.”
Continuing: “Intimacy coordinators help the actors to realise and respect their own boundaries. An action scene may feel ‘spontaneous’ to one actor, but to another, it may feel like an assault.”
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