Keira Knightley among stars calling for industry support regarding bullying and harassment
Hollywood figures, including Keira Knightley, have grouped together to sign an open letter calling for greater support on bullying and harassment in the industry.
The letter calls for extra funding so that the UK’s new reporting body for film and TV can officially come into place. 25 figures have signed the letter so far, which calls for a “final commitment to the creation of the CIISA, the new independent standards authority designed to keep our creative industries safe and to secure your support to this essential part of the ecosystem that is currently missing.”
Knightley, Emerald Fennell, Cara Delevingne, Carey Mulligan, Rebecca Ferguson, Naomie Harris, and others have shown support so far. Meanwhile, Guy Remmers, Jonny Sweet, and Joshua McGuire have also signed.
The letter signed by the 25 figures reads: “So many of us in this industry would have loved to have an objective outside body that we could go to for advice, for mediation and in the very extreme circumstances, that we might need some outside body to hold people accountable for the bad behaviour or bad practices that sometimes happen on our sets, on our stages, behind the scenes.”
The message also notes that the “CIISA recognises that not everything can be solved with just one intervention”. However, it adds, “But as bullying and harassment claims in the industry continue abound, we believe it is a very necessary part of a range of interventions driving for much-needed change.”
Many figures have recognised the impact of recent progress incited by the MeToo movement, but it is clear that there is still much to be done. CIISA has also previously explained that it would only be able to launch at its target date, the end of this year, if it receives funding from the industry’s leading bodies.
Speaking at Cannes Film Festival about the impact of MeToo, director Greta Gerwig said: “I have seen substantive change in in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.”
So far, all British broadcasters have donated to the cause.
This is a developing story.
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