by Fabio Patrassi
For the
second talk in the series offered by
Miu Miu Women's Tales, moderated by
Penny Martin, editor of the British publication
Gentlewoman Magazine, three young actresses compared notes:
Julia Garner,
Stacy Martin, and
Hailee Steinfeld.
The three fast-rising stars of American and European film have appeared in three out of the ten short films tailor-made for Miu Miu Women's Tales, and have had no problem getting into the markedly femminine spirit of the project.
The talk between the three guest speakers was of the role of women in the film industry and the evolution of that role. They all agreed that contemporary cinema has seen a boom in women professionals on the set; not only directors, Stacy Martin believes, but also screenwriters, camera operators and directors of photography.
The three actresses also concurred that there is no difference in working with male or female directors. The working method is the same for both. What changes, says Julia Garner, is the atmosphere that a woman filmmaker can create on set. Behind the camera, a woman's heightened sensibility means she can capture certain aspects of the performance of her own actors.
Returning to their experience with Miu Miu, by immersing themselves in the roles of three different models, the actresses were able to perceive particular nuances in the job (and the state of mind) of being a fashion model. They wore other people's clothes while slipping effortlessly into the part. And while never once forgetting, as Hailee Steinfeld observed, the women who were their own sources of inspiration, starting with - naturally enough - their own mothers.