Sofia Coppola has never heard of the Bechdel Test
The Bechdel Test was created to test gender representation in films
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Sofia Coppola, a director renowned for films that give audiences an insight into how women think, had apparently never heard of the Bechdel Test until recently.
During an interview Coppola was asked about her new film The Beguiled, where the interviewer asked her if it was "the rare feminist film that struggles to pass the Bechdel test".
Responding, Coppola asked: "The what test?... I've never heard of that. What's that?"
The Bechdel test was created by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel as a way to test gender equality in films.
It asks two simple questions: Do two women characters have names? Do they speak to each other about something other than a man?
"I guess I've never studied film," Coppola joked. "That's so funny, but there are lot of women talking about a man in this [The Beguiled]."
Coppola is currently promoting the film, which received rave reviews at Cannes (although it didn't impress our critic).
However Coppola has also been criticised over an apparent lack of diversity in her films. In a recent email to Buzzfeed she admitted that she removed a slave character's plot because she wanted to concentrate on the gender dynamics of the story, "and not the racial ones".
"I didn't want to brush over such an important topic in a light way," she said. "Young girls watch my films and this was not the depiction of an Africa-American character I would want to show them."
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments