Steve McQueen Exits Camerimage Over Festival Director’s Sexist Comments
Christian Blauvelt
The fallout from Camerimage festival director Marek Zydowicz’s sexist remarks he wrote in an editorial is here, and it is fierce.
After multiple national cinematography guilds, including the American Society of Cinematographers and British Society of Cinematographers, issued statements protesting the remarks —which equated a push to have more representation from women cinematographers with “mediocrity” — Camerimage’s guest of honor Steve McQueen has pulled out of attending the annual festival. “Blitz” is the opening night film.
“Having read Marek Zydowicz’s op-Ed concerning female cinematographers, I have decided not to attend the opening night presentation of my film ‘Blitz’ this weekend,” McQueen said in a statement obtained by IndieWire. “Although he has issued an apology, I cannot get past what I consider deeply offensive words. I have enormous respect for cinematographers of all genders including women, and believe we have to do and demand better to make room for everyone at the table.”
Camerimage, held in Toruń, Poland, each November, is the latest gathering of cinematographers anywhere in the world each year. It is considered a key bellwether of the Oscars race for Best Cinematography. Therefore it came as a shock when Zydowicz wrote his op-ed in Cinematography World magazine, responding to calls to include the work of more women cinematographers.
“The film industry is undergoing rapid changes, affecting the cinematic image, its content, and aesthetics,” wrote Żydowicz. “One of the most significant changes is the growing recognition of female cinematographers and directors. This evolution is crucial as it rectifies the obvious injustice present in societal development. However, it also raises a question: Can the pursuit of change exclude what is good? Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?”
He also alleged that festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and Venice that have made real efforts to include more films from female filmmakers have been “criticized for their selections due to succumbing to or promoting such trends.”
Zydowicz has since apologized for what he called a “misunderstanding,” according to Screen Daily.
McQueen pulling out of Camerimage is the biggest act of protest against Żydowicz’s remarks yet. In addition to the ASC and BSC issuing statements criticizing the remarks, so did the Association of Brazilian Cinematographers (ABC), Society of Camera Operators, Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), Women Cinematographers Network (from Germany, Austria & Switzerland), as well as cinematographers Greig Fraser, Reed Morano, and Erik Messerschmidt.
THR first reported McQueen pulling out of the festival.
