With the general election approaching, it is important to remember the feminist movements that
took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the fight for women to have equal rights,
including the right to vote. Later on this year, the film Suffragette will be released and it is likely to
be a dominant force within the 2016 Oscar race. The film will tell the untold story of the real foot
soldiers of the Suffragette movement who were prepared to go beyond peaceful protests, often
turning to violence and prepared to lose everything, to fight for equality and change. Its
revolutionary status in history will be further reinforced within the production value of the film, as it
is the first in history to have been given permission to be shot at the Houses of Parliament. The film
boasts exceptional female talent from stars Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Marie-Duff
and Meryl Streep; from screenwriter Abi Morgan and director Sarah Gavron.
It is disappointing that none of the films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this year
were helmed by a central female protagonist. This was also reflected with no female screenwriters
or directors being nominated. The recent twitter movement #FilmHerStory reflects that audiences
want films with more female protagonists. We need films that are representative. Suffragette is
likely to be successful in capturing females within history for a wider audience to appreciate, as it is
captured as ‘a story told by women, about women, for women’.
Suffragette will be released in UK cinemas in Autumn 2015.