Anna Serner, CEO of the Swedish Film Institute, will be coming to Gustavus on Monday, April 18, to present her lecture titled, ”How Sweden is Working for Gender Equality in Film Production”. The lecture will be held in Beck 101.
According to Assistant Professor in Scandinavian Studies; Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies; Film and Media Studies; Comparative Literature;African Studies; LALACS; andPeace Studies, Ursula Lindqvist, the lecture is being funded by a grant from the Swedish Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
“With people interested in film production, this will provide an opportunity to hear and discuss how one country can lead by example in achieving gender parity in filmmaking, and ways in which we can improve the U.S. film and television industry” — Sean Cobb
“Anna’s visit to Gustavus is part of a U.S. speaking tour that also includes the University of Wisconsin Madison, the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, the Swedish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and a gathering of U.S.based filmmakers in Los Angeles, where she hopes to make connections with Geena Davis’ Institute on Gender in Media.” Lindqvist said.
“I hope people come away more able to see the roles that social systems can play in oppression and liberation” — Martin Lang
Serner and the Swedish Film Institute or SFI, worked in the Swedish film industry to create a strategy that would help in closing the gender gap within filmmaking.
The SFI was able to succeed, bridging that gap in Swedish film production within three years time.
In her lecture, Serner will be discussing the strategies that Swedish Film Institute used in accomplishing their goals.
Professors in the Departments of Scandinavian Studies; Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies and Film and Media Studies, which are sponsoring the lecture, are eager to have Serner come and share her message with the Gustavus Community.
The professors in these areas of study feel that students studying in these programs will benefit from the ideas Serner has to share. Lindqvist recommends that along with students in the programs sponsoring the lecture, students in Public Discourse should also consider attending the lecture, as Serner is an extremely effective public speaker.
Sean Cobb, Program Director in Film and Media Studies, is excited for students studying film in particular, to hear Serner speak about the diversity of film in Sweden.
“With people interested in film production, this will provide an opportunity to hear and discuss how one country can lead by example in achieving gender parity in filmmaking, and ways in which we can improve the U.S. film and television industry by bringing diverse characters, issues and experiences into focus.” Cobb said.
The Program Director in Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, Martin Lang, also has high hopes for what students will take away from the lecture.
“I hope people come away more able to see the roles that social systems can play in oppression and liberation, despite the fact that those systems can often be difficult to see. This is a critical step in making real progress toward positive social change.” Lang said.
Serner’s lecture is an important one to attend, as it will provide Gustavus students with new insights and strategies that can be used to undertake issues that are still prevalent involving gender equality in film production.