Ryan Coogler on why women are better filmmakers than men: “Stronger and sharper”
Ryan Coogler might just be the most exciting director working in Hollywood today, with the release of his latest spectacle, Sinners, topping the global charts and becoming one of the most talked-about films of the year.
After helming the groundbreaking Black Panther film in 2018, which forever changed the history of the Marvel studio, as well as forming a long-lasting creative partnership with Michael B Jordan through films like Fruitvale Station and Creed, the director has become the face of a new era in Hollywood, infusing meaning and nuance into commercial projects and defying the typical constraints of the studio system.
But with the release of Sinners, Coogler has opened up many interesting conversations through the subject matter explored in the film, looking at the gentrification of Black culture and pain, he has also expressed his allegiance towards female filmmakers and others who are marginalised in Hollywood, describing them as being naturally more suited to directing.
It remains particularly difficult for women to break through as directors in Hollywood, and those challenges only multiply for women of colour. While a few have managed to carve out space for themselves, the industry is still dominated by men. Despite the constant messaging that things have improved, little has changed. Many marginalised voices are still fighting to have their stories heard, while mediocre male directors continue to be handed opportunities, offering little beyond ego-driven work that adds nothing to the creative landscape.
This is something that Coogler called attention towards in a recent interview when promoting Sinners, saying, “I feel like women are better filmmakers than men. Put it on the record. I mean, it’s true, bro. In film school, life, whatever, they’re equipped to do this job, in many ways, better than us. They’re infinitely more complex than we are. Stronger and sharper. So, you know, we’re going to get better movies [if we have more female filmmakers]. The industry would improve. That’s the best thing I could say about that. They’ve got to be given the opportunity”.
Whether it be Beau Travail, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, The Watermelon Woman or Titane, female filmmakers are hugely crucial to a thriving and diverse creative landscape, although there are still not nearly enough women of colour being championed and nurtured in sharing their voices. As well as this, the number of entry-level opportunities and schemes available to aspiring and emerging voices is practically non-existent, with very few ways for anyone who doesn’t have access to wealth or has pre-existing connections in the industry to break in.
For many, it feels like an impossible task and an impenetrable fortress, with no tangible way to break in besides hanging around for long enough, putting yourself out there, and waiting for a twist of fate to throw you in the path of a producer who will hopefully change your life and like your script enough to take a chance on you.
Coogler is definitely onto something, and if anyone in Hollywood has the sense to listen to him, then they will take heed of his words and try to make it a more accessible and inclusive place that champions all kinds of stories.
