This Thursday, the Ministry of Equality and Feminism and the Catalan Cinema Academy launched the first protocol for the prevention and addressing of sexist and LGBTIphobic violence in the audiovisual sector. The text offers a model of action that addresses both the prevention of violence and the reporting and support of the victim throughout the film process, from writing the script to celebrating the awards. “All companies are already obliged to have these prevention measures, but we wanted to create guidelines that adjust to the specificities of a sector, with characteristics that can especially favor sexist violence,” stressed Judith Colell, president of the Academy.
Just a few months after the arrival of the #MeToo movement in Spanish cinema, following complaints against film director Carlos Vermut, the Catalan sector has wanted to reinforce the measures that were already in force to guarantee the non-repetition of attacks and violence. physical, sexual, psychological or digital, as well as accompaniment to victims. To establish concrete guidelines consistent with the audiovisual sector, more than 300 personalities and associations in the sector have participated in the previous consultation phase.
Prevention is the first line of action. Before filming, the script must accurately describe the intimate scenes and avoid sexist stereotypes, for which advice from a gender specialist is recommended. To avoid the power relations that sometimes characterize the processes of casting, the protocol indicates that tests should be done in professional environments and during work hours, never in a hotel room or private home. In addition, they must have at least two people of different genders and avoid scenes of sex, nudity or scenes that involve kissing.
Privacy Coordination Department
The Minister of Equality has stressed that this is a guide protocol that is not mandatory and that will not condition the granting of subsidies to productions, despite, she said, the fact that “the calls for applications increasingly contain more demanding requirements.” . The department recalls that the content of this guide has been prepared with professionals from all audiovisual branches—cinema, documentary, technical, video games, video clip filming—and can be applied to all of them.rmula (like a wink or signal) to stop the scene if necessary, and these will be filmed on a small set, where cell phones will be prohibited. After the “cut”, the end of filming parties, premieres, festivals and galas—considered a work environment—will include a space for reception and advice in case of suffering any type of violence (purple dot).
Prevention requires transforming the structures that sustain and perpetuate sexist stereotypes in cinema. To achieve this radical change, the Protocol provides that productions designate a group of “reference people” to detect and address cases of violence and refer them to the care service. “Reference people cannot be just anyone,” stressed Tània Verge, Minister of Equality and Feminisms. The Academy will offer free of charge (with the support of the Generalitat) and periodic training ―designed specifically for the audiovisual sector― for the team that performs these detection and reception tasks.
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Regardless of whether a criminal process is opened, the protocol provides for a Customer Service that will create a commission of investigation when a sexual assault or discrimination is reported. The Commission ad hoc It will be made up of three professionals—external to the company—from the legal, psychological and audiovisual fields specialized in sexist and LGBTIphobic violence. While the commission studies the case, precautionary measures or sanctions may be applied, such as suspension of employment and salary, dismissal or exclusion of individual candidates for awards. The text also emphasizes comprehensive reparation, with preventive and precautionary measures that do not re-victimize, of a legal, economic, social, labor, health and educational nature.
The Minister of Equality has stressed that this is a guide protocol that is not mandatory and that will not condition the granting of subsidies to productions, despite, she said, the fact that “the calls for applications increasingly contain more demanding requirements.” . The department recalls that the content of this guide has been prepared with professionals from all audiovisual branches – film, documentary, technical, video games, video clip filming – and can be applied to all of them.
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