'GLOW' Captures Wrestling's Role As Female Empowerment Venue

"Wrestling was the first time I used my body in a functional, powerful way that had nothing to do with the way I was looked at." — "GLOW" actress Betty Gilpin


I’ve spent more than a decade shooting and editing the documentary “Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring.” I’m really excited that the movie is finally ready to be released later this year, and what a cool coincidence that a new show about women’s wrestling has just debuted on Netflix.

Here’s my review of the new series “GLOW,” which stands for “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling”:

I love the animated opening of a wrestling match that’s made to look like ‘80s neon. I’m a big Patty Smyth fan and it’s great that the opening theme song is her ’84 hit with the band Scandal, “The Warrior.” That anthem is very appropriate for these tough wrestling women.

“GLOW” accurately captures the look and feel of the ‘80s. Some of the wrestlers' leotards and Spandex bring to mind Jennifer Beals’ memorable costumes in “Flashdance.”

I’m a pop-culture junkie and I love the ‘80s references throughout the show. In one scene, the lead character Ruth (Allison Brie) loses out on an acting audition when the casting director chooses to give the part to Steve Guttenberg of “Police Academy” fame.

I enjoy listening to Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, and the actor/comedian is well-cast as the sleazy producer of the “GLOW” wrestling show depicted in the Netflix series.

The overall tone of “GLOW” is satirical, but the series also portrays professional wrestling as a showcase for female empowerment. I certainly found that to be the case while conducting interviews for “Lady Wrestler” with legends Ethel Johnson, Ramona Isbell and Ethel Brown, and the children of the late Marva Scott.

I recommend checking out “GLOW.” It’s a crowd-pleaser for wrestling and comedy fans, and a welcome nostalgia trip for those of us who fondly remember the ‘80s.

How To Become A Director Later In Life

Some filmmakers start young while others become directors as a second career later in life. Acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai falls into the latter category. 

Gitai shared his perspectives on how to break into the film industry during "Doc Day," an event focusing on documentary filmmaking held May 23 during Le Marche du Film (a convention affiliated with the annual Cannes Film Festival in France). I found the event of particular interest as a documentary filmmaker myself who is trying to get the word out about my first movie, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."

Gitai, 67, earned a Ph.D. in architecture as a young man and didn’t make his first full-length film until the age of 30. In a conversation with with film critic Jean-Michel Frodon, Gitai offered advice for those who are just starting out.

"They asked me, 'What is your advice for young filmmakers?' I said, 'Go and study architecture,'” he said. “We need people who study literature or art or architecture to inject an original point of view in this domain, which is cinema.”

In 1980, Gitai jumped into the world of filmmaking with the documentary “Makes House” for the Israeli television corporation, which refused to air it. The film describes the attachment of Palestinians to their land.

“My original work started as a citizen, not as a filmmaker,” Gitai said. “Cinema became a form of expression.”

“Makes House” was the first of a trilogy of works on the same house in West Jerusalem. The others are “A House in Jerusalem” (1998) and “News from Home/News from House” (2005).

Since then, Gitai has worked on a variety of projects in different countries and received countless international awards and accolades. He advises filmmakers who are interested in building a body of work to not let the lack of funding or resources stop them from realizing their vision.

"When you get an opportunity to make a good film, make it,” he said. “Don't say, 'I need a few euros more.' Make your own economy. Circumstances will not wait on you."

Indie Movie Financing 101

When I attended the Cannes Film Festival a couple of weeks ago, some of the best experiences I had were events I had no idea were going on and happened upon by chance. I was at Cannes to promote my documentary, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."

On my last day at Cannes, May 24, I stumbled onto an area in the sprawling Palais des Festivals called "Short Film Corner." This was a one-stop shop for everything related to getting a short film made and distributed. I was lucky enough to sit in on a very informative presentation by financier Matthew Helderman of BondIt Media Capital in which he explained exactly how not just short films, but films in general are financed these days.

Helderman explained that many independent films are financed through what can be described as a pie with four equal slices:

- 25 percent private equity, which means individual investors who either outright donate or put money into a film's budget expecting a return on their investments.

- 25 percent raised through pre-sales to foreign markets.

- 25 percent in tax credits from government agencies that offer rebates to movie productions that film in their regions.

- 25 percent in "gap financing" - as in any kind of financing that will fill the void of the money that hasn't yet been raised, such as a bank loan.

Filmmakers often like to focus solely on the creative side of making movies, but the reality is that most investors are looking to turn a profit, Helderman said.

"Be prepared for zero returned phone calls until you have something that can make them money," he said. "It's becoming investment banking in the media space."

One alternative, Helderman added, is to structure your film as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity. That way, investors can simply write off the funds they contribute as charitable donations. 

But, of course, this means that filmmakers have to make peace with the fact that they won't be able to make money off their movies.

"Not every film is a for-profit venture," Helderman said.

Helderman offered the following advice for independent filmmakers who want to do business with studios, production companies and finance companies like his:

- Before approaching a company to fund a film project, raise at least 30 percent of the film's proposed budget on your own through private investors. This will convince companies that you're serious, have the capability to get people to invest in your ideas and that you're willing to do the work and take on some of the risk yourself.

- Research films that are similar to yours, find out who produced, financed and distributed them and try to set up meetings with those people so you can pitch your idea to them.

- "Under-promise" and be transparent about what you can and can't do with everyone you deal with, including cast, crew, producers and investors. 

Helderman also recommends that filmmakers do their best to distinguish themselves from the competition by coming up with unique concepts and marketing strategies.

"Your audience has a million places they can put their time," he said. "How do you differentiate yourself? You find a niche, build a brand."

For filmmakers who are looking to make a name for themselves by making short films, Helderman's company BondIt offers grants of up to $20,000. To apply and for more information, visit https://bondit.us/grant/.

An Experience When Life Imitated Art

Sometimes art imitates life and vice versa. I recently had an experience in which my life mirrored a scene in the novel I wrote, "The Chloe Chronicles."

In the book, the main character Chloe and her best friend, Gigi, run away as teenagers for a summer and take up residence in a lavish hotel in Monaco - a beautiful principality in the French Riviera. They get an opportunity to attend the World Cinema Awards, a gala which is like a cross between the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival. Mind you, I totally made up this World Cinema Awards event from my overactive imagination.

Since Chloe and Gigi hadn't packed any formal clothes, they go shopping in Monte Carlo (an area of Monaco). The girls hunt for gowns that are appropriate to wear on the red carpet at the World Cinema Awards.

In an eerie real-life version of this scene, I was in Monaco last month and got a last-minute opportunity to attend a red-carpet event in the French Riviera. I was at the real-life Cannes Film Festival promoting the documentary I directed, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."

Like my characters Chloe and Gigi, I ended up going shopping for a red-carpet outfit in Monte Carlo. I was able to find a reasonably priced shirt and tie to pair with a black suit I'd brought with me to attend the premiere of the acclaimed French film "Happy End," written and directed by Michael Haneke and starring Isabelle Huppert (who is like the French Meryl Streep).

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.

Practicing My Spanish In Madrid

I've been trying on and off to become fluent in Spanish since taking it in high school. I got an opportunity to put my language learning in practice during my recent trip to the 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival. I was there promoting the documentary I directed, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."

While flying to Cannes, which is situated in the picturesque French Riviera, I had a connection in Madrid. The Spanish flight attendants would come by my seat and ask questions such as "¿Mas pan?" ("Would you like more bread with your meal?"). I would reply in Spanish, "Si, gracias" ("Yes, thank you.")

Maybe the flight attendants appreciated my effort, but my attempt at speaking their language seemed somehow wrong. I felt pretentious and condescending, since they were obviously more fluent in English than I was in Spanish.

I also felt like I was putting the man sitting next to me, who was American and English-speaking like me, in an awkward position. When the flight attendants would ask him the same questions that they asked me, he would pause, as if he felt pressure to try to reply in Spanish as I had.

So for the eight-hour flight between New York City and Madrid, I alternated between Spanish and English. Of course, I felt more comfortable speaking English, of which I have a much firmer grasp.

On the return trip, I had another layover in Madrid. Eating lunch in the Madrid-Barajas Airport while waiting for my flight back to New York, I decided to grab a bite at Burger King. Not exactly the cultural experience I was going for, but it was quick and cheap.

For some reason, I felt entirely comfortable going up to the young man behind the counter and placing my order in my rudimentary Spanish: "Quisiera ensalada con pollo" ("I would like a salad with chicken"). He responded as if I'd spoken perfect Spanish, asking, "Es todo?" ("Is that all?").

The fact that I felt more comfortable practicing my Spanish with a fast-food worker than with the flight attendants says more about me than it does about them. As much as I'd like to think of myself as seeing all people as equal, I obviously have some middle-class prejudices. I perceived the flight attendants as worldly and well-traveled, and would therefore look down on me and my broken Spanish. But I didn't care as much what the working-class BK employee thought of me.

That's one of the many cool things about traveling: it reveals hang-ups that you need to address, but that you didn't necessarily know you had.

I'm going to continue to practice my Spanish with native speakers whenever I get the chance. I've come to realize that sometimes I'll feel awkward and out of place, like I did with the Spanish flight attendants. And sometimes I'll feel confident, like I did with the fast-food worker. In that sense, language learning is like dating — trial and error.

Learning a language often requires you to come out of your comfort zone, and travel is one of the best ways to accomplish that. Travel — especially international travel — truly broadens your horizons.

Shattering The Glass Ceiling Among Cannes Film Festival Chatter

Attending the 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival last week was an amazing experience. I was there to promote the documentary I directed, "Lady Wrestler: The Amazing, Untold Story of African-American Women in the Ring."

Cannes is known for its glitz and glamour and there were many glittering, sparkly things at the festival: sequins glinting on the designer dresses worn by Hollywood stars; expensive jewelry gleaming from their ears, necks and fingers; and, of course, the paparazzi's never-ending flashbulbs. 

But the shiny thing that stood out the most was the ever-present glass ceiling, that age-old barrier keeping women and people of color from getting a firm foothold in the movie industry.

Shattering the glass ceiling was the topic of an excellent panel discussion I attended during the festival about the need for more diversity both in front of and behind the camera. The May 23 event was presented by the In-Focus Film Society, founded by Monica Cooper. The organization aims to provide more opportunities for women and people of color in the film industry.

Panelists included Euzhan Palcy, who directed the 1983 cult classic "Sugar Cane Alley" and 1989's "A Dry White Season"; veteran actress Beverly Todd, whose extensive body of work includes "I Will Follow," Ava  Duvernay's directorial debut; Daphna Ziman, president and chief creative officer of cable channel Cinemoi; and Sue Zizza, owner of Sue Media Productions. The panel was moderated by Derrion Gipson, an African-American female executive with actors' organization Sag Indie.

Gipson noted that even when female filmmakers are given the opportunity to direct blockbusters, they are often overlooked for future installments of the franchise. She cited the example of 2015's "50 Shades of Grey," which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (a woman), but the 2017 sequel "50 Shades Darker" was directed by James Foley (a man).

Even though women directors often bring projects in on time and under-budget, there's an erroneous perception that if a studio gives a woman $5 million to shoot a movie, "She'll make the movie for $2 million and spend the rest on purses and shoes," Gipson said.

Filmmakers who value diversity should use box-office numbers to combat the notion that movies with people of color don't make money internationally, Gipson said. She cited the example of the Oscar-winning drama "Moonlight," which she said made more money overseas than it did in the United States.

"Even though it's been debunked, there is still this issue of, 'Do diverse films travel?'" Gipson said. "[Studio executives] have the idea that they can't make their money back."

Todd, who is currently producing a documentary on the life of music legend Dionne Warwick, said some movie studios make a false effort to cast actors of color by indicating that a role is open to "all ethnicities."

"They can say, 'We offered this role to everybody,'" she said.

Palcy said she's seen little progress since she became one of the first women of African descent to direct an internationally successful movie more than 30 years ago. 

"People say, 'Things are changing,' but I want to say, 'How and how much?'" Palcy said.

In order for lasting change to occur, more women and people of color will have to assume positions of power at movie studios and television networks, Ziman noted.

"If we don't make sure that we have women and minorities at the helm," she said, "we are never going to solve the problem."

One option for women and people of color who want to succeed in the entertainment industry is to become entrepreneurs and form their own companies. This is what Zizza ultimately decided to do: "I said, 'I'm going to name the company after me and I'm going to do it myself.'"