Tara In Her Own Words
The thirteenth interview of the FemGems in the Arts series features the film critic Tara Karajica
Tara Karajica is a Belgrade-based film critic and journalist, who had never planned to become one. “It all happened serendipitously, so to speak.”, she says. Her future career found her while she was doing her Masters in Early Modern History in Barcelona. Chance brought her to Film and History Class and, encouraged by her professor, she started writing reviews about historical films in Spanish. One day she spontaneously got the idea to visit Sarajevo Film Festival (which take place in her father’s birth-town), as a correspondent for the Spanish academic journal FilmHistoria. At Sarajevo Film Fesitval she got totally hooked on the film industry. There she learned about all the different forms of non-academic film workshops and for a short time she has attended the most important programs such as Sarajevo Talent Campus, Berlinale Talent Campus, Locarno Film Critics Academy, Sunday in the country (where we’ve met).
Her talented writing has appeared in Indiewire, Screen International, Variety, Little White Lies and Film New Europe, among many other media outlets, including the European Film Academy’s online magazine, Close-up and Eurimages. She is a member of the Online Film Critics Society and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.
In February 2018, she launched Fade to Her, a magazine about successful women working in Film and TV. Soon after that, Fade to Her became an important platform where we can hear the voice of women from a wide range of professional backgrounds and from all around the globe — all of whom have something to say about the current state of the film industry.
In 2019, Tara was a member of the Jury of the European Shooting Stars (European Film Promotion). She is also currently a programmer for live action shorts at PÖFF Shorts. She is a regular at film festivals as a film critic, moderator and/or jury member
What makes you love your profession?
Well, first is that I get to write about films, and sometimes get paid. What’s there not to love about it, haha!? All jokes aside, I love it when I am at a film festival and I am among the first people in the world to see a film — it almost feels like a privilege. Then, I get to meet people from all over the world, be it fellow film critics, or film festival directors or programmers, or directors, actors, festival volunteers, etc. It’s such an important part of the job, and one that brings so much not only on a professional level, but on a personal one as well. I am sad this part is on hold right now, but I do hope it doesn’t stay that way for too long! Traveling and discovering new cultures are also an important and intrinsic part of the job, and aspects that I especially enjoy and miss right now.
What kind of qualities are a must-have for a good film critic?
I think a good film critic should have many things: an open mind, a willingness to watch films that belong to a genre or a culture he/she doesn’t like or isn’t familiar with, or are by a director he/she doesn’t like or doesn’t know, a sharp tongue, a way with words, an ability to juggle subtly between objectivity and subjectivity, a good knowledge of film and film history, and be a graceful and cultured person.
What’s important for you in Art?
Emotion. Any kind of Art has to have the ability to move me. And it has to be thought-provoking. Obviously, the artist has to be talented and centered. I don’t like it when they are too scattered and don’t know what they are saying and what they want us to see, hear, or feel.
What do you think about contemporary cinema? What does it take to create something really deep and brave which speaks with a strong and unique voice?
I like contemporary cinema and how it has evolved. What I don’t like is the remakes and prequels and sequels that are unnecessary, extremely bad, and even tarnish (the memory of) the original. I think it takes a lot of talent, uniqueness, courage, confidence and faith in what you’re creating. You have to be crazy enough, brave enough and believe so strongly in your talent and project to make it today. Times are different now and films are more and more difficult to make.
Who are your all-time favorite female filmmakers? Why?
It’s not the usual suspects, actually! I have always loved Nora Ephron, either as a director or a screenwriter, or even as a writer. I appreciate her sharp tongue, the way her mind worked, her observations on life and the world that are often conveyed in the dialogues she has so astutely written. For that I absolutely adore her! Her film, You’ve Got Mail, is one of the most underrated films of all time, in my opinion, because it is often categorized as a romcom or a chick-flick, but if you pay close attention to the dialogues, you see a whole other side to it. So I invite people to re-watch it with a more open mind. I can’t help but think that When Harry Met Sally would have met the same fate had it not been directed by a male director. Julie Taymor always has a new filmmaking approach and Sofia Coppola has her own unique voice and style which she is completely committed too. I also love Jane Campion, obviously, Dorothy Arzner… Then, from the newer generations that I cannot not mention, I absolutely love Carla Simon, Jacqueline Lentzou, Claire van Beek, Milica Tomovic, Farnoosh Samadi, Minhal Baig, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic, Francisca Alegria and Francesca Castelbuono. All are extremely talented voices who each bring something fresh and unique to today’s cinema; we should have them on our radar!
What’s the situation of women in the film industry? Are there many women in leading positions?
It actually depends on the country. In Estonia, for instance, there are a lot of women working in the film industry and they don’t see it as an issue at all, but if you look elsewhere, there’s still a lot to be done. I think things are improving, but it is very slow and it is not happening in an organic way. It’s being forced, which I guess is the solution right now because it forces people to think about the issues and face them, until it evolves organically into a “new” normal. In some countries, like Sweden, this shift in mindset and acknowledgement that there is a problem that needs to be addressed and fixed has been huge. We have to take into account that they are spearheading the revolution and they have been at it since 2013, so, a long time before Weinstein, and #metoo and the Time’s Up movement. Yet they still haven’t reached 100% gender parity. So imagine in the rest of the world…
What’s also important to take into account here is what sort of prioritization gender issues receive in each country’s film industries. The differences there are big. But people are taking note, and asking for change, so that’s a good sign. Unfortunately, overnight you can’t change a system that has been in place for decades. Every change needs time, and I hope people don’t get weary with this one and leave it as a trend. I wholeheartedly hope it’s not a trend, but just the beginning of what ends up being colossal change.
Can you also talk about the situation in your home country Serbia?
It’s far from ideal. Films in Serbia have had difficulties in the past, just to even get made, no matter the gender of the director. And this has been true for a long time, until recently, when things have begun to change in more general terms. It’s still not easy to make a film here, but it’s definitely easier than say ten years ago. Unfortunately, it is still an elitist profession and not everyone makes it. Coupled with the fact that it is predominantly a male profession, it is also a very conservative , with the same people getting the funding to make their films, and taking women years to make their second feature. I don’t think there are more than ten active female directors in Serbia right now. The same goes for other professions in the audiovisual sector. They are pushing through, but it is a huge effort. You also have to take into account the conservative and patriarchal mindset that needs to be changed in order for things to really start happening for women here. Finally, education and adequate information are crucial for increasing the numbers of women working in the Serbian film industry: they need to know it’s a fathomable possibility, not a mere dream, and they need to see real women doing that; they need to have real role models coming from here.
Why is it important to support women from different professions in the film industry?
A film isn’t made by one person; it needs so many people in order to become what it’s supposed to become, so it wouldn’t be fair to just look at it from the point of view of a director, a producer or an actor/actress. You have so many talented female screenwriters, cinematographers, costume designers, production designers, sound designers, VFX, etc. They should get recognized for their work, too. Also, there are those who work to bring the film to you, to the cinemas or the festivals — you have distributors, sales agents, press agents, festival (artistic) directors, programmers, those who are heads of industry segments at film festivals and who pick the works-in-progress, organize the pitching sessions and so on. There are also those who help a project in its early stages as well as heads of film centers, film institutes, film funds, and so on… All these women are instrumental in the life of a film and they should be acknowledged for their work. And so do the female film critics because we are also half of the population. We watch films and write about them and our opinions matter and there are not nearly enough of those voices around the world! That’s another issue that the film industry needs to address and seek to solve. In TV, you have showrunners, show creators, heads of networks, content development, etc. The list of women working everywhere in film and TV is simply endless.
How did you make the decision to create your website FADE TO HER? What was your initial goal?
Well, Fade to Her was the result of my attending the SOFA School of Film Advancement (previously known as School of Film Agents) workshop back in August 2017 and April 2018. My initial project was a center for women in film in Serbia, like a WIFT Serbia if you will, but I saw this was a very difficult project to carry out due to political, social, cultural obstacles, and one of the mentors suggested I create a magazine about women in film, instead of — and I quote — “a helpline for women in the film industry.”
We started mulling over that idea and talking about it during the workshop. In fact, I was already drawn to the subject of women in film much earlier since I had already bought the domain www.fadetoher.com in early 2017. I didn’t do anything about it because I was immersed in short films and my then-magazine about short films, Yellow Bread, plus I was pregnant, so I just let it sleep. I suddenly “woke” it up and started working on it as a result of the workshop. It was supposed to be very different from what it is now. I was seven months pregnant when I was at SOFA and it was two months before the Weinstein scandal and my intention was to work at it slowly, brainstorm slowly, etc. But that did not happen! What I really wanted to do with Fade to Her from the very beginning, was to include all women working in the film industry, regardless of their specific field. In my point of view, they were everywhere and they were successful, so I wanted to work on their visibility. Make them seen both as women and film industry professionals by talking to them and writing about them. That is still Fade to Her’s mission. And I don’t think it will change.
How do you support your website financially? What are your future plans and ambitions for FADE TO HER?
Because I had just become a mother when I launched it — my son wasn’t even three months old — there never was time to think that part over. I just launched it because it needed to be launched at that precise moment, in the midst of #metoo and Time’s Up. I just needed to get it out there no matter what. But my plans for its immediate future include a much needed makeover — website and social media platforms — that I have actually been working on for a while and that I got to do thanks to the pandemic and that will be implemented soon, I hope.
When things go back to normal, I would like to find financial and strategic partners to grow it because the ultimate plan is for Fade to Her to become the go-to magazine for women in film and television, and a staple of quality journalism, not just quick news or quick content, but articles, interviews and reviews that really highlight the success of women working the film and TV industries.
Which are the leading international institutions and programs that support women in the audiovisual sector and how do they do that?
In terms of the leading international institutions and programs that support women, you have the EWA Network (the European Women’s Audiovisual Network) that organizes mentoring programs for women producers, a scriptwriter’s residency in Berlin, the EWA Network Hangouts (an initiative that fosters online networking and various workshops); Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) and its various branches in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, India, USA, Lithuania as well as women’s national networks in Europe and USA (CIMA in Spain, SWANN in Switzerland and other women’s networks in Finland, Romania, Croatia, France (collectif 50/50 by 2020), the women’s animation network in the UK and USA; the Geena Davis Institute and the Bentonville Film Festival; Eurimages and its gender equality working group; the European Film Promotion and Sydney Film Festival initiative to promote European Female directors in Australia called “Europe! Voices of Women in Film” now extended to New Zealand with a partnership with the New Zealand Film Festival; Birds Eye View in the UK with its “Reclaim the Frame” initiative; Women’s Media Center; Kering Women in Film, Miu Miu Women’s Tales, the Women in Film Max Mara Face of the Future® Award and other fashion brands that are involved in film and are advocating for women in film; Moms in Film, Raising Films, Ballon Rouge Cannes for working moms and parents at film festivals; Cherrypicks (a sort of female equivalent of Rotten Tomatoes); USC Annenberg’s studies on the situation of women in various fields of the film industry, the most famous one being the study on the lack of female film critics; the ‘Share Her Journey’ initiative at the Toronto International Film Festival or ‘Through Her Lens’ at the Tribeca Film Festival…
There are also, of course, film festivals dedicated to women such as the Festival de Ciné de Femme de Créteil, the previously mentioned Bentonville Film Festival, RKV FFF among many, many others. New platforms in the shape of databases for women in film have also been launched such as Primetime Network which is a more general database for women working in all fields of the film industry, and there is the newly launched Wscripted that is an online marketplace for female writers. There are also special conferences being organized on the subject, like the Power of Inclusion summit that took place last year in New Zealand, or the more recent Carla 2020.
As you can see, there are SO many institutions and festivals working on putting women working in the film industry forward.
What inspires you and motivates you?
I am inspired and empowered by strong and talented women who are not afraid to go after their dreams and to step out of their comfort zone. I am motivated by difficult and unique things and projects — everything that requires a lot of work and sacrifice, but where the end result is nothing short of magnificent. What also motivates me is the fact that I have to work and earn things, that they don’t fall from the sky. Authenticity and integrity both motivate and inspire me, too.
Which of your personal qualities serve you the best and what are the personal weaknesses that you are trying to overcome?
I am ambitious and motivated and when I want something, I go for it and don’t stop until I get it. It’s all or nothing! I am also open-minded and ready to listen, to broaden my horizons and to learn in general and from my mistakes. And my weakness, well, it would have to be the “all or nothing” approach I have just mentioned, because I tend to let things and projects consume me completely, so much so that I forget to take care of myself.
What’s your opinion on future of film criticism? How will its different forms of expression develop in the next few decades, particularly regarding the enormous influence of social media and digital channels in our lives?
Compared to a decade ago, it’s become so widespread and so popular and everyone can be a film critic. But what is dangerous in that sort of plurality of voices is that everyone thinks they are a critic when they have their own blog and they write their opinions on certain films. This is all well and good, but there needs to be a filter, a sort of legitimacy to all that. It’s not enough to have an opinion, you need to know how to formulate it and write it well., In that sense, your voice and opinions need to be valued and heard at some point. So these film criticism workshops at film festivals are, in my opinion, the way one actually becomes a film critic today because they veto you, in a way. They “let” you practice your skills, which they have helped you hone — it’s like a rite of passage that is indispensable today.
I don’t know how it will develop in the next few decades, but what is interesting to me, at least, is that with videos and podcasts you can review films easily and in a more upbeat way. But I still think the old-fashioned form of reviewing is the ultimate approach in film criticism! Seeing your words printed or published somewhere is something special! But it’s like with everything, you need to standout, have your own voice and approach and be very good at. Social media is a good tool for promotion and quick “news” but I am not sure where it’s headed in terms of real film criticism yet. What I really do hope, though, is that it can become instrumental in finding new voices in film criticism, especially for those who cannot afford to travel to film festivals or haven’t had the opportunity to leave their country, or for a million other reasons!
How do you see the near future of the international film festivals? Are they going back to normal soon?
To be honest, I don’t know. The online formats show us that it is feasible to sit at home and not have to travel, and that everything is doable online, but where is the beauty in that? How do you meet new people? How do you discover new cultures? Where is the magic of cinema there? We need to experience films physically, in a cinema, or in a screening room.
This portrait is the 13th one of the FemGems in the Arts series, proudly part of FemGems, a labor of love boosting female entrepreneurship.
FemGems features rising female entrepreneurs from all over the world.
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