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Open Letter to the British Film Institute

565 Comments

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JoJo Panayi
8 years ago

If there was a trans event, Munroe would be perfect, but this is an event celebrating womens achievements, and it's insulting that a male has been chosen over females. Again.

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Anonymous
8 years ago

Transwomen are transwomen, please ask MB to speak on behalf of transwomen not women

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jane hutton
8 years ago

again another organisation falling over itself to be seen as PC and so in touch. all you've managed to do is make a great many women very angry and we will not leave it. He is a Man. He has not had GRC. Get a grip.

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Arnold White
8 years ago

Do the BFI not understand they make it look like no woman has a camera with this? Ask Vanessa Beeley to speak and see how being a woman using a camera can have the British Media turn on you

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Nel
8 years ago

Can't believe this! Can women film makers get this man's agent to work for them please?

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Christy Lawrance
8 years ago

If it's a festival celebrating 'Woman With A Camera', they should get an inspiring, experienced woman to speak

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Anonymous
8 years ago

This a a gross act of disregard for the struggles and achievements of women in the film industry in an attempt to look ‘inclusive’. It’s quite the opposite of inclusive to deliberately exclude women from women’s places in society.

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Anonymous
8 years ago

You took an opportunity to give a voice to a woman, and gave it to someone who had all the advantages of being a man for most of their life, plus has no experience of working in the film industry. That Bergdorf is trans is irrelevant to me, that he isn’t a woman is. Appalling choice.

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Alison Batts
8 years ago

it's women in film, not men patronising women in film, not men claiming to be women in film and not males not really in film talking about something he knows nothing about

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Jo-an Evans
8 years ago

Unbelievably offensive ... where is the logic?

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Anonymous
8 years ago

I am an assistant producer working in television and feature documentary and factual programming. Women are so under represented and there are so many exciting, talented filmmakers who could deliver electrifying keynote speeches. How can parity be reached in the industry when the most high profile filmmakers are men and male-bodied women?

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Jo Smith
8 years ago

Privileging a trans identity with a massive existing profile is a slap in the face to women trying to move forward in a historically sexist field. Please reconsider.

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Anonymous
8 years ago

Why?! Why would you choose a male-bodied person who's entire film "career" composes starring in one poor quality documentary all about themself, rather than any of the many brilliant women who have dedicated their careers to actually making films. What message does this give to female film makers? If you want to get ahead in film, don't bother honing your craft as a film maker , just - be a man. What an insult.

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Helen Jones
8 years ago

I am interested in the voices of women in film, so under-represented. I am not interested in the view of someone who is not invested in this industry and who is performing hyper-sexualised “feminist”. This isn’t the role model I want for my daughters.

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Amy Desir
8 years ago

This is an inappropriate and insulting choice by BFI.

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Susan Millership
8 years ago

Tell us why you have chosen this person.

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Anonymous
8 years ago

BFI, even if you want a non-film maker to provide social/political analysis, there are plenty of women to choose from without resorting to a celebrity men's rights activist with a good agent. You are damaging your reputation with this.

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Rosa Parks
8 years ago

If you wish to celebrate womens success in film then pick a woman to speak. Not a man who has had facial surgery to resemble a woman. This is as insulting as if you had invited Rachel Dolezul to speak at a black film festival. A perm and a spray tan does not make someone black. Hair extensions and heels do not make someone a woman.

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Victoria Sloan
8 years ago

This is a sick insult to all actual women. I can't imagine how women working in film must feel. Shame on you bfi

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Anonymous
8 years ago

As a woman working in this industry I am appalled that Munroe Bergdorf has been selected as the keynote speaker at this important event. This seems to me a cynical click-bait and tokenistic decision. There are lots of great BAME women filmmakers who could have taken this role, who I would love to see speak for and represent me. Munro Bergdorf is not a filmmaker or frankly, a feminist either. Bergdorf being a presenter of a Channel 4 documentary about Bergdorf does not bestow filmmaking credit and to think otherwise is insulting to women working in the industry.