Written by Sarah Ralph. Photo by Sarah Ralph.
The Wonder Women series has returned to Savannah for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the SCAD Film Festival, gathering directors who have various backgrounds. Sara Dosa of “Fire of Love”, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson of “Do Revenge”, Allison Anders of “Gas Food Lodging” and Kaila York of “Most Likely to Murder”.
Dosa, Robinson, Anders and York discussed how their greatest strengths as creatives helped them pave a path in an industry ruled by men. The panel began with the women agreeing, “I wish we could just say Wonder Director.”
One of the most heartbreaking stories on the panel came from Dosa as she reflected on her early days as a production assistant. She stated that she carried sandbags for the crew on set to which the grip said, “Sit down sweetie, so we have something nice to look at.” Anders added that she too has faced discrimination not only for being a woman but also for being over the age of sixty-five. “You want to scream and cry and you can’t because you’re a woman and everyone is watching you,” Robinson stated while discussing how extremely frustrating it is when facing difficulties on a set.
However, the women empowered one another by discussing their directing superpowers. Each of their strengths is derived from their versatility. Whether a producer, writer or editor, these wonderful women prove every day they can hold any position a man holds and show and do it even better.
Photos by Sarah Ralph.
