“I had two thoughts: I love this project and I can’t let anyone else do it. And: they will never let us make this movie.” Greta Gerwig said so Guardian his approach to Barbie before filming began. The director of the moment managed not only to make a film, but also break a series of records: “Barbie” is currently trashing the box office and has been best debut for a female director.
If the world turned pink this is due to his gaze, ironic and intelligent. At 39 (turning 40 on August 4), Greta Gerwig is one of Hollywood’s most popular directors, and Barbie, her first real blockbuster, has confirmed the success of her light-hearted and “pop” feminism.
Until now, the heroes of your films have always been women: it all started with “Ladybug”, the first film she wrote and directed that was not devoid of autobiographical references, was immediately nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Screenplay. depicts 18 year old intolerant of her mother (Saoirse Ronan) who wants to leave Sacramento, California to attend a prestigious college on the East Coast.
Gerwig was also born in Sacramento and “ran away” to college in New York. It has debuted as an actress, but he does not have the happiest memories of those years: more than acting, he wanted to write. He became involved in film writing, making himself visible regardlessin the so-called mumblecore movement, and in 2010 starred in the film “The Extravagant World of Greenberg” based on Noah Baumbach: with the New York director, who also became her partner and father of two children, she immediately started fruitful creative collaboration.
“Lady Bird” came in 2017, then in 2019 it was the turn “Small woman”(another) adaptation of the novel with an all-star cast, critically acclaimed and nominated for six Academy Awards.
Write “Barbie”, finally Gerwig worked during a pandemicand initially brought Baumbach into the project without his knowledge (“He says to me: “Did you hire us to write a Barbie movie?” And I answered: “Yes, Noah, start celebrating!” Guardian). Theaters were closed at the time and the future of cinema was uncertain: “Well, if we ever go back to cinema, let’s do something completely crazy” was their motto.