Kate Winslet says crew underpaid on directoral debut

LOS ANGELES

Kate Winslet has said members of the crew of her directorial debut “Goodbye June” were underpaid after she failed to secure a sufficiently large budget, blaming entrenched sexism in the film industry.

The Oscar-winning actor, best known for “Titanic,” said being a female director meant she had to “call in favors” to get the project made, as investors were reluctant to back it.

As a result, some department heads and crew agreed to work for less than their unusal weekly rates.

Speaking on a podcast, Wislet said women face greater scrutiny when stepping behind the camera, while men are often assumed to be competent by default. “That assumption is not made of women,” she said, adding that it makes it harder for female directors to secure funding and adequate budgets.

She also said actresses-turned-directors are often viewed as vain or unserious, and are spoken to in a different, more dismissive language than their male counterparts. 

Goodbye June, Winslet’s first film as director, is a Netflix family drama about four siblings who reunite as their mother’s health deteriorates.

The cast includes Helen Mirren, Timothy Spall, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough and Johnny Flynn, alongside Winslet herself.