Women have always had a significant impact on cinema. Their roles in this industry have changed drastically throughout the years, impacting global culture and art with each new female character.

In an interview for Harbingers’ Magazine a renowned Polish film critic, journalist, and festival curator Ola Salwa shared her perspective on the role of women in the film industry, from iconic and noteworthy female characters, like Little Women or Barbie, to the Bechdel test in the context of different ways of analysing female representation in movies, as well as women in Polish cinematography.

The women we see on screen have a greater impact than just entertainment—they can be a form of representation, rebellion, or change of the film industry as we know it. In this article, we aim to summarize our conversation by including the most pivotal points, discussions, as well as quotes from our guest speaker.

In the article, quotes from the recorded interview have been edited for clarity and consistency.

In response to a seemingly simple question of what film was best as an example of the impact women have in cinema, Ola Salwa expressed that she personally dislikes the word best when talking about cinema, as she believes there is no such thing as superiority due to the subjectivity of reviewing films.

“I was hoping that you would finish the sentence like ‘film that inspired you’ and not like what is ‘the best’ according to you. I honestly hate this question, because I don’t believe that there is such a thing as the best film. I always avoid the top ten films of the year because art is not objective, so how can you compare films,” she said.

Instead, she focused on a film that inspired her, which follows the story of two female poets in a relationship. The movie helped her realize the importance of stable friendships and connections between people. She felt a strong sense of resonance with the two female characters, who managed to make her realize something significant in life. We appreciated our guest telling us about this example, as it truly presents how movies focused on the female experience in life can encourage us to realize certain values in life.

A noticeable factor in analyzing female-focused films is the gender of the directors and producers. Are feminist movies directed by women different than movies of the same theme directed by men? Salwa expressed that she believes the answer to this question is not an easy one.

When we discussed the role of women, both as directors and producers, as well as characters, in Polish cinematography, Salwa emphasized that Polish cinema has evolved significantly over the past years, particularly with the growing presence of female directors, which has led to a wider range of stories being told.

However, what she pointed out as missing in Polish cinematography is not the female representation itself but socially and politically engaged movies that tackle contemporary issues – although there are several important exceptions, matters such as migration or war are addressed rarely, despite being a large part of everyone’s lives.

Salwa suggested that the future of women’s cinema may lie not in female representation but rather the courage to engage with the world as it truly is.