Hard facts, soft measures: Gender, quality and inequality debates in Danish film and television in the 2010s

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hard facts, soft measures

T2 - Gender, quality and inequality debates in Danish film and television in the 2010s

AU - Redvall, Eva Novrup

AU - Sørensen, Inge Ejbye

PY - 2018/9/1

Y1 - 2018/9/1

N2 - This article investigates discussions about gender, quality and equality in Danish film and television in the 2010s. Contrary to Sweden, where gender diversity has been part of public debate and formal screen policy since the 2000s, there was little discussion of gender in the Danish screen industry until the Danish Film Institute (DFI) began focusing on diversity as a priority area before the Film Strategy for 2015–18. The article analyses how both DFI and industry players have continuously argued against gender Squotas, instead opting for soft measures such as ‘gender declarations’ and initiatives to raise awareness. One of these initiatives was a manifesto, ManusFestet, that used humour to raise questions about gender representation on-screen. The article discusses how a balance between hard facts and soft measures seems to be experienced as a constructive way forward, as long as this combination does in fact facilitate the intended change.

AB - This article investigates discussions about gender, quality and equality in Danish film and television in the 2010s. Contrary to Sweden, where gender diversity has been part of public debate and formal screen policy since the 2000s, there was little discussion of gender in the Danish screen industry until the Danish Film Institute (DFI) began focusing on diversity as a priority area before the Film Strategy for 2015–18. The article analyses how both DFI and industry players have continuously argued against gender Squotas, instead opting for soft measures such as ‘gender declarations’ and initiatives to raise awareness. One of these initiatives was a manifesto, ManusFestet, that used humour to raise questions about gender representation on-screen. The article discusses how a balance between hard facts and soft measures seems to be experienced as a constructive way forward, as long as this combination does in fact facilitate the intended change.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - Danish film

KW - ManusFestet

KW - diversity

KW - gender

KW - quality and inequality

KW - screen policy

UR - https://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Article,id=27437/

U2 - 10.1386/jsca.8.3.233_1

DO - 10.1386/jsca.8.3.233_1

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2042-7891

VL - 8

SP - 233

EP - 249

JO - Journal of Scandinavian Cinema

JF - Journal of Scandinavian Cinema

IS - 3

ER -