White Papers on On-Screen Depiction of Women
With the international network organization "Women In Film And Television Germany" and further renowned cooperation partners and participants from German film, television and streaming industry, I initiated and co-created two white papers on the depiction of women on screen in terms of age and gender-based violence.
The first paper is called "More Actresses over 50 in Cinema, Streaming and Television" and the second paper is named "Gender-based violence in Cinema, Streaming and Television". Both papers raise questions that help reflecting creative decision in the stages of script-development, casting, directing on set, as well as directors of photography, image and sound editors from the post-production and representatives from broadcasters and film funds.
Scroll down to read both papers in full length.
Media not only depicts society, it also shapes opinions and has proven to influence the reality of viewers' lives. In response to the many studies on gender parity in cinema, streaming and television, it is important for Women In Film And Television (WIFT) and the GÖTZ GEORGE STIFTUNG to contribute toward necessary cultural change.
The following impulses derive from the discussion rounds of the think tank "And please! More actresses over 50 in cinema, streaming and television", which was organized in October 2021 by WIFT and the GÖTZ GEORGE STIFTUNG and held in cooperation with the Bundesverband Schauspiel (BFFS) during the 55th International Hof Film Festival. Decision-makers from the industry reported on their
experiences and gave important input that is ideally suited for implementation and further development. In particular, checklists were proven to be effective.
• Do all characters conceived as male roles necessarily have to be men? Might the material get a new and exciting twist if these roles are written as female?
• Do women over 50 have to predominantly be written as mothers, grannies, or betrayed wives?
• How are female characters portrayed: Do they have a name, a profession, what attitude and values do they convey?
• Is the attractiveness of a female character told through their outward appearance or through character traits?
• Are there as many men as women in the script?
• Do men and women meet at eye level?
• Is the amount of dialogue between the male and female characters appropriately distributed or balanced?
• How diverse are women described in the script? (Origin, religion, sexuality)?
• Can male roles also be played by actresses?
• Do actresses have to conform to the standardized ideal of beauty to be considered
attractive?
• How diverse is the physical appearance of the actresses cast?
• Does the age of the actresses correspond to the age of the characters?
• How successful is it to cast actresses who have not been hired for a long time?
• How diverse are actresses cast (origin, religion, sexuality)?
The media shape our perception of reality and therefore have a special responsibility. This applies all the more to such a socially urgent topic as gender-based violence. The study "Gender-based Violence on German Television", initiated by the MaLisa Foundation and UFA, shows that explicit gender-based violence, often serious violence against women, is portrayed in
a third of all TV formats. With this white paper, Women in Film and Television Germany (WIFT), the MaLisa Foundation and the Bundesverband Schauspiel (BFFS) would like to contribute to a conscious approach to the portrayal of violence against women in audiovisual media. The following set of recommended questions emerged from the discussions of the think tank, "Gender-based Violence in Cinema, Streaming and Television. Our Responsibility in Storytelling and Production", which brought together more than forty decision-makers from the German audiovisual industry in September 2023. The questions are intended to stimulate reflection at different stages of the creative process.
The discussion participants agreed that artistic freedom and the telling of exciting and entertaining stories are central. However, a responsible and conscious approach to the staging of violence against women should also be a prerequisite. The white paper is intended as an invitation to reflect on one's own work and creative decisions.
● Is a violent scene necessary for the story?
● Is the depiction of sexualized violence necessary?
● Is the scene of violence told from the perspective of the perpetrator or the victim/survivor?
● Has the topic of violence against women and its depiction been researched? Have relevant
data and facts and, if necessary, specialist advice from experts been included? This applies to
narratives of violence in the main and subplots.
● Was the victim's/survivor's perspective actively taken into account during the research?
● Have the results of research and expert advice been integrated, even if they lead to the story
developing in a different direction?
● Is there a vision agreement between the author and the production in which, among other
things, the handling of depictions of gender-based violence and other sensitive topics is
stipulatedi? If no vision agreement is drawn up: Do the author and production have a common
stance?
● Has a sensitivity reading been carried out by a professionally qualified person?
● Are myths and stereotypes about (sexualized) violence against women avoided or repeated,
e.g:
○ Is the victim assumed to be complicit?
○ Is the victim portrayed as helpless and unable to defend herself?
○ Is the crime committed by anonymous perpetrators in public spaces?
● Are impulses for new narratives found, e.g.:
○ Does a victim/survivor of violence seek (and find) competent support so that she is not
left alone and therefore "broken"?
○ Do victims/survivors talk about their experience of violence? What attitudes do the
interviewees adopt and what perspective is chosen for the scene?
○ Is the structural dimension of violence against women addressed? Do the characters
verbalize structural elements of violence?
● Are costs for research and the involvement of experts included in the budget?
● With regard to a responsible approach to the topic of violence against women, has a conscious
decision been made as to whether or not to include a content notice / content warningii?
● Are references to support services for those affected shown during or after the broadcast, as
well as on the online platform or in social media posts iii?
● Is the conscious handling of the topic of (sexualized) violence against women considered as
quality criteria in the evaluation of submitted projects?
● How are the quality criteria checked iv?
● Is it a conscious decision to show the act of violence? Is an alternative possible in terms of
storytelling and dramaturgy?
● Do all those involved have a common understanding of the implementation of violent scenes,
and if not, is it possible to make changes to the scene with the authors or even cut the scenes?
● Were the violent scenes actively discussed with all head of departments during preparation,
e.g. as part of a look and feel discussion?
● Were the actors' contractual agreements taken into account?
● Is an intimacy coordinator and/or stunt coordinator consulted?
● Has the shot list been discussed with the director before shooting?
● Has it been discussed how the agreements can be implemented on set despite time pressure?
● How can the staging of scenes of violence be prevented from having an aestheticizing,
glorifying or sexually arousing effect?
● Has the shot list been chosen in such a way that stereotypes about (sexualized) violence
against women are not reproduced?
○ For example, is the fragmented depiction of female bodies and body pan avoided v?
○ Which POV is chosen? That of the perpetrator or the victim?
○ Is the character portrayed as a helpless victim who is unable to defend herself through
the positioning of the camera (lower/upper perspective)??
● Is the use of costume and makeup/special effects (e.g. film blood) appropriate in the scene?
● Does the editing have the possibility to break through stereotypes, e.g. about sexualized
violence or assumed complicity of the victim/survivor, which may have been unconsciously
reproduced during filming?
○ Does violence have to be shown in order to tell the story? Does the editing work even
if images that glorify or trivialize violence and/or reproduce stereotypes are omitted?
○ Is it possible to drop scenes that have been filmed, in consultation with the director, or
is it possible to carry out a reshoot?
○ If different perspectives were filmed: Which one is chosen in the editing: the
perpetrator’s, victim’s/survivor’s or a neutral perspective?
● Can a viewing be carried out by people who are not part of the industry but are experts in the
topic depicted?
● Can the perspective of the victim/survivor be strengthened by the choice of sound design?
● Can, for example, the sound on an off-screen narration strengthen the perspective of the
victim/ survivor?
● Are there scenes of violence that are trivialized by the choice of sound?
We are convinced that good films can only be made under good conditions. With this in mind, the
following questions are aimed at commissioning networks and employers of filmmakers (i.e.
production companies) on set.
● Is there a clear and unambiguous position against sexual harassment on the part of the
commissioning network and the production company, encouragement of self-reflection in the
team, provision of information material and other preventive measures?
● Are all employees informed about who victims/survivors of sexual harassment and violence
can turn to? If available, an internal contact point is advisable, and/or the independent and
confidential advice center Themis, which offers psychological and legal advice for those
affectedvi.
● When depicting intimacy and/or sexualized violence: Was an intimacy coordinatorvii involved
from the beginning of the process?
● If there are scenes with nudity and sexual content, are the ICDA best-practice casting
guidelines for nudity and sexual contentviii applied?
i A vision agreement is a written agreement on a content vision for a series or film. Components include basic plot and
stylistic elements, handling of depictions of gender-based violence and sensitive topics. It can be part of a screenplay
contract. The vision agreement can also be used to align the other departments with the common vision of the project and to
sensitize them to certain topics contained therein.
ii see e.g. BBC Editorial Guidelines Section 5 Harm and Offence Content Information
(https://www.bbc.com/editorialguidelines/guidelines/harm-and-offence/guidelines/); FSF Fachmagazin Mediendiskurs 103,
1/2023 „Warnhinweise - Schutz vor belastenden Inhalten“ (https://mediendiskurs.online/heft/warnhinweise-ausgabe-103/)
iii e.g. Violence against women helpline in Germany: 116 016 | www.hilfetelefon.de; Sexual abuse helpline in Germany: 0800
22 55 530 | www.hilfe-portal-missbrauch.de/hilfe-telefon ; A table of the national women’s helplines available in 46 European
Countries: https://wave-network.org/list-of-helplines-in-46-countries/ ; international list of country help lines, provided by UN
Women: https://www.endvawnow.org/en/need-help; cf. also BBC Action Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline/
iv cf. the approach of the Austrian Film Institute in the context of the feature film inclusion checks – see
https://filminstitut.at/foerderung/projektkommission
v cf. “The Menkes List: 5 Camera Techniques That Objectify Women In Film”: https://intheirownleague.com/2019/11/05/the-
menkes-list-6-camera-techniques-that-objectify-women-in-film/
vi https://themis-vertrauensstelle.de/
vii cf. BECTU guidance for shooting intimacy: https://bectu.org.uk/news/bectu-launches-guidance-for-shooting-intimate-
scenes; professional networks: https://www.idcprofessionals.com; Germany: https://b-ik.art/infomaterial#Verband
viii https://the-icda.com/protocols/2020/icdn-best-practice-casting-guidelines-for-nudity-and-sexual-content/
