Welcome to the Boys Club

Pulp Fiction (1994)

In my head, I've always have imagined film to be like Star Trek.

Bear with me here.

The way I understood filmmaking growing up was that it was universal; a space where anyone could tell their stories. It didn't matter who or what you are, film is inclusive to all. However in more recent years, I found many moments where this is disproven. I notice that sometimes I feel singled out as a woman in cinema. More importantly, I don't fit the mold of a filmmaker that has been portrayed in the industry for years.

Let's admit it: cinema has always been a boys club. Think about films we consider to be cinematic masterpieces. There are a lot of films considered to be a part of that group that objectify women and cater almost completely to men. In a large portion of these films, only white men represent impactful roles. This makes sense because a large portion of the people writing these films are at least white, if not men. This is most well represented by a well known stereotype in the film industry: the cinema bro.

Illustration by Dini Lestari

The cinema bro, cinebro, or even film bro, act like frat boys and believe to have infinite knowledge of film. If there is one thing that sets a cinema bro apart from anyone else in the film industry, it's their opinions and how loudly they proclaim them. Cinema bros are extreme gatekeepers. In their perspective, there is only one right answer, and if you don't agree, you're going to be stuck in the longest conversation about a film for no reason.

The amount of judgement many of them have is unreal. Not everyone is going to like the same type of films. Also, they all somehow really like Tarantino like it's a personality trait? Kind of weird if you ask me. It's funny to me how the cinema bros have a very narrow view of the film world, like Americans to international film. Because of how many film history courses I've taken (thanks Chris) I definitely have fun putting these guys in their place. I know; it's impossible to think the film world is bigger than Nolan, Anderson, and Tarantino (cue eye roll). Cinema bros aren't an issue alone though. Something we need to understand is that there's something even bigger behind this exclusive group.

Image via Reddit

We should recognize that cinema bros are a product of an industry with a history of sexism and racism it is now desperately trying to cover up. After all, films for men are made by men. Additionally, male critics outnumber female critics 2:1 according to "Thumbs Down 2020: Film Critics and Gender, and Why It Matters." This means that more than likely they are going to rate films that they relate to better than ones they don't. So male centered films may come across as having more critical acclaim, thus boosting the cinema bros opinion as a popular one. This leaves the question: how do we make films feel less exclusive to other groups?

Changing the system is a big part of getting rid of the so called "boys club" these men make up. Having women in key roles like director is a big part of that. Bringing new voices into film can help break this constant cycle of exclusiveness. Women need to be just as well represented behind the camera to bring new stories to light. Though, I should say that I don't align myself with the statement, "the future of film is female." I feel that this statement is just as exclusive as the boys club or cinema bros.

The big idea should be that the future of film is for everyone.

It shouldn't matter what your race, gender, or sexuality is. What should matter is how well you can visually tell a story. Film is not pigeonholed to a certain group. Why should we think it is?

Lois Weber Image via Credit: Flicker Alley, LLC