Director and screenwriter Jane Campion attends the screening and chat for Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” at BFI Southbank on March 1 in London, England.
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty
hide captions
switch captions
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty
Director and screenwriter Jane Campion attends the screening and chat for Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” at BFI Southbank on March 1 in London, England.
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty
Director Jane Campion has apologized to tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams for her “thoughtless” comments about the pair during her acceptance speech Sunday night at the Critics’ Choice Awards.
Campion, a white woman from New Zealand, accepted the Best Director award for “The Power of the Dog” when she made her comments.
During her speech, Campion – the only woman nominated in the category – hailed the Williams sisters as “masterpieces” of their craft, but implied that the two Black women were not face to face. with the fight for gender equality like the women in the movie.
“Serena and Venus, you’re magical. However, you don’t play with men, like I have to,” Campion said with a laugh.
Her comments were met with swift backlash on social media, where commenters pointed to the years of racism and sexism the Williams sisters faced during their careers. .
Jane Campion, daughter of acclaimed New Zealand theater director Richard Campion and actress Edith Campion MBE, explains the challenges of being a white woman from a prestigious family with Venus and Serena Williams. https://t.co/7IhXlrNIBw
– Megha Mohan (@meghamohan) March 14, 2022
Others noted the degree of voice deafness – the idea that a white woman from a privileged social background has a harder road to success than two black tennis powers – which some describe described as the perfect symbol of white feminism.
Jane Campion’s love lightning is a perfect distillation of white feminism.
– Saeed Jones (@theferocity) March 14, 2022
“I made a thoughtless remark by equating what I do in the world of cinema with all that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have achieved. I don’t mean to belittle two jet-black women. these world-class athletes and athletes,” Campion said Monday. according to media reports. “The reality is that the Williams sisters have actually fought men on the court (and off the field), and they have raised the bar and opened the door to what is possible for the women of this world. The last thing I want to do is minimize noticeable women.”
Campion movies,”The power of the dog“was praised by critics. The film was a survey of the oddballs of the American West and sparked conversations about the history of gay cowboys and toxic masculinity.
The film had 10 nominations at Sunday night’s awards ceremony, earning four, including the Campion Best Director trophy.
