On January 12, the list of nominees for the 2025 Academy Awards was released, bringing news of the latest nominee for Best Director: French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat for her film The Substance. The film’s central theme is a critique of Hollywood’s beauty standards—an industry known for pressuring people, especially women, to obsessively maintain their youthfulness, turning that unattainable standard into a monstrous force.
Fargeat is only the 10th woman to be nominated in the 96-year history of the awards, and of that select group, only three have won: Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), and Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). The lack of female representation at major awards shows is largely due to the industry’s failure to recognize and value women’s contributions to filmmaking, as well as the interests of those who control the industry.
A recent example of misogyny at an awards ceremony occurred with Barbie, a film produced by and starring Margot Robbie, and directed by Oscar nominee Greta Gerwig. Despite Barbie’s massive success, Gerwig and Robbie were snubbed in their respective categories (Best Director and Best Actress), with Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer) winning Best Director and Emma Stone (Poor Things) taking home her second Best Actress award.
“The film undermines stereotypes about women—with a meta twist, Robbie’s character is called ‘Stereotypical Barbie’—but it wraps this in a floating, colorful aesthetic. Oscar voters either couldn’t or didn’t want to look beyond that surface to see how substantial the film truly is and how meticulously Gerwig orchestrated it,” said journalist Abby Phillip after interviewing Gerwig about her 2023 box-office hit Barbie.
There are several factors that contribute to the lack of female prominence in the industry, including ageism— one of the themes explored in The Substance. Throughout history, women have been cast in roles that reflect the current reality: subordinate to men.
Over the years, misogyny has proven to be one of the most deeply rooted structural problems in the film industry. Despite social progress, protests, and speeches advocating for diversity, these ideals are rarely put into practice—especially when it comes to recognizing the work of women behind the scenes. While there are several supportive movements, such as Time’s Up, which in 2022 aimed to highlight harassment and misogyny in the industry, resistance remains strong. The Academy has often failed to implement necessary changes, including on issues of racial representation. The fight for women’s space in this industry is far from over, and we must continue to push for greater recognition, support, and opportunities for women in film.
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The article above was edited by Giovanna Rodrigues.
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