Brie Larson: Women Directing Feminine Movies Are ‘Radical’ (Video)

“It’s a lot of women needing to meet men in their space,” Larson said of women filmmakers

The few female directors that Hollywood employs are too-often forced to work in male-driven content spaces, director Brie Larson told TheWrap.

The Oscar winner’s directorial effort “Unicorn Store,” an official selection at last week’s Toronto International Film Festival, is “radical” in its decided femaleness, she said.

“There are a lot of aspects that I find totally radical. I think for a female filmmaker to make a film that’s very feminine, that is kind of an interesting take … we don’t have a lot of that,” Larson said.

“It’s a lot of women needing to meet men in their space. I think it’s a challenge to say, ‘Can men meet us in our space?’ They both can exist,” she concluded.

The remarks call to mind figures like Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to ever win the Best Director Oscar, and her hard-edged military thrillers “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty.” Given the abysmal statistics on the amount of women hired to direct feature films, one could argue it’s an entirely male space that could use a mass migration to the other side.

“Unicorn Store” sees Larson direct herself in the lead as a failing adult, forced to move back in with her parents after giving up dreams as an artist. Working a temp job, she begins to receive ornate invitations to a retail store that sells, well, unicorns.

[powergridprofile powerrank=”978″ node=”254190″ type=”person” path=”http://powergrid.thewrap.com/person/brie-larson” title=”Brie Larson” image=”brie_larson_4.jpg”]

The character is forced to prove why she’s worthy of one of the mythical creatures, in a narrative that ultimately meditates on growing up — whatever that means.

Watch Larson’s full Wrap Studio interview above.

Comments