Interview with Ana Palacios

• 1. Tell us, how was Mujeres de Cine born and what do you do?

Mujeres de Cine was born in 2010, with the purpose of promoting and making visible the cinema directed by women by realizing the low percentage of films directed by women that there were annually.

We started through a national itinerary that could rotate through various autonomous communities bringing the most recent and outstanding of cinema directed by women. Little by little, this project grew at the national level thanks to the support of the women's institute, and at the international level supported by the Cervantes institute and AECID, to establish an alternative exhibition network that has festivals, cultural centers and museums, etc. We have reached more than 300 locations around the world, where we have made ambassadors to directors to publicize their work outside our borders.

In addition, in 2011 we created the "Woman of Cinema" award in which each year the contribution and testimony of many women at the Gijón Film Festival stands out.

At the same time, in 2019 we launched our own streaming platform "vod.mujeresdecine.com" that has a catalog full of international productions. In 2020 we also created the first online women's film festival in which a multitude of international films compete for various awards and, which has its second edition this year.

• 2. Why did you decide to be the director of this association?

It is not an association as such, but a space that emerged from a cultural manager that I share with my colleagues who are co-founders like me. When we created this project we thought that I could be the director since I really wanted to be the visible face and be present in its construction in a more prominent way. For me, it has meant being involved in a vital project with a commitment in which I believe and consider necessary.

• 3. How do you see the situation of women in leadership positions in the cinema compared to a few years ago and how do you think it will continue?

My perception would be that the presence of women has greater significance and there is greater social and institutional awareness, but their situation as such has not improved much. Therefore, it is necessary that all links in the industry bet and trust this cinema.

• 4. How do you see the Spanish scene with respect to the role of women in the cinematographic field compared to the international scene?

The Spanish panorama at the institutional level is supporting this cinema, something that did not happen when we started our project, but if we compare ourselves with countries like Sweden, we are a little behind. Regarding other countries, it is maintained in a similar way, making us in a general area in a fairly normal position; I think many more things could be done.

• 5. How did you come to have a position of responsibility? Have you experienced any sexist acts for wanting to reach leadership positions?

In my case the team was clear that I was going to lead the project, I have not had any problems and I have always been supported and encouraged by my colleagues. But if I have encountered barriers in negotiations in which I have noticed that they were directed only at my partner and me, not because they were a woman, or flirtations in the professional field, and I think that is something that continues to happen and is a bit desperate.

• 6. What is missing to achieve equality both in this area and in more generic aspects of society?

I think many things should increase institutional support, encourage higher-budget productions for women. Equality is going through a slightly peculiar moment because, on the one hand, it is a historical moment marked by feminism and by a paradigm in which there is no turning back. But this is sometimes a bit dangerous and we must always maintain a critical, thoughtful and attentive attitude because it is also used as a fad when there is really not a deep awareness of what equality means and how necessary it is.

• 7. Finally, what have been your motivations to work in this sector?

My main motivation has been to be able to contribute a grain of sand on this path towards equality. Then later I have been lucky enough to meet women filmmakers with impressive talent who have also motivated me. Another thing is the public: when it receives with gratitude the proposals that we make from Mujeres del cine. In addition, the woman film award that allows us to recognize the talent of so many women. All this is related to equality, I work so that no woman, just because she is, feels less and has fewer opportunities.