Ava DuVernay, Gina Prince-Bythewood and more highlight Hollywood gender gap in ‘Half The Picture’

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A new documentary by Amy Adrion, Half The Picture highlights how bad things are for women creators and it features several of our favorites.

It’s no secret that Hollywood has been a boys club since the beginning and we’re starting to see more women take control of Tinseltown by getting behind the camera. For the most part, directors are overwhelmingly white and male. Women directors don’t have the same opportunities as their male counterparts.

Creators like Mara Brock Akil, Ava DuVernay, and Lena Waithe have been celebrated for breaking new ground with a string of successful projects lately, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a long way to go when it comes to equality in Tinseltown.

Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle In Time, Queen Sugar, Selma) Lena Dunham (Girls), and Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond The Lights) are just a few people we hear from in this powerful documentary that is as enlightening as it is infuriating.

“No, we’re not going to accept you into this festival. No, we’re not going to give you money,” DuVernay says in the clip.

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Each woman interviewed reveals the unique discrimination and hardships they have faced as content creators and while some of the stories sound familiar, others will blow you away.

Women are plagued by gossip and rumors that undermine their talent. Strong-headed leaders are relegated to “bi#*!es” and labeled “hard to work with,” while men are applauded for taking the lead and being confident for demonstrating the same behaviors.

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Beyond that, the notion that women creators have the ability to tell stories about all walks of life, and in all genres including action, horror, and drama is an idea that is still widely rejected by the decision makers in Hollywood.

Check out the clip: