President of Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI), producer (Nordic Factory) and film pitch coach, Granqvist is one of the guest speakers at Helsinki’s conference ‘Creation, Innovation and Promotion-Competitiveness of European Audiovisial Industry’ (September 10-11).

She will discuss ‘Core European Values-what about diversity and gender balance?’ together with co-panellists Laura Houlgatte (International Union of Cinemas), Roberto Olla (Eurimages) and media artist and filmmaker Marja Helander. The panel is moderated by Petri Kemppinen, head of Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

We spoke to Granqvist ahead of the EU conference held at Finlandia Hall, under Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU.

When did you start being an activist and fighting for gender equality?
Helene Granqvist: I’ve always wanted to be part of and an agent for change, instead of complaining and seeing myself as a victim.  I started in the nineties with environmental activism, got quite deep into that, which evolved into a strong interest for sustainability.

In that process, it became very clear (thanks to several research reports), that the most efficient way to create sustainability is to invest in women. I also saw how our industry can have an impact on the surrounding world, and wanted to look at my kids and grandkids in the eyes and tell them three things: there is hope; you can be part of a change, and doing it empowers you. 

For you what is being a feminist?
HG: To see a problem and wanting to change it. To be aware that the problems are on a systemic and structural level where both men and women are victims.

On a personal level, as a producer and pitch coach, how do you apply your principles?
HG: I trust my own experiences. Try to be open and aware that I - even with my full engagement - am as deeply influenced by unconscious bias as everyone else. I’m a very curious person. That helps me. I’m also quite a competitive person –which I’m not always proud of. I truly believe that diversity will create industrial success - with better stories, bigger audiences, new markets, innovation etc.

You were elected president of WIFT International in 2018. What do you feel other nations can learn from Sweden that has been at the forefront of gender equality in film & television?
HG: In Sweden activists have worked for years to influence Swedish film politics. In 2011, WIFT managed to push through a change in the old Swedish film agreement, so that resources would be shared 50/50 instead of 40/60. Today 50/50 is a ”say” all over the world.  

It’s important to remember that change goes very slowly on an institutional level. When Anna Serner [Swedish Film Institute CEO] came to the SFI in 2013, she was the right person to bring to the public eye all the preparation work that had been done before. She’s a very talented and brave strategist.

Sweden has therefore been very forceful in addressing the fact that we actually have a problem - one that is clearly defined on a governmental level and that needs to be addressed in our society. That goes for most countries in Europe.

Sweden has also met common arguments against equality with programmes and actions, and has excelled in communication. That said, the country has a lot of problems to deal with, like every other nation in the world.

As president of WIFT International and as a Swedish national, I am very aware that Sweden acts as a role model and it’s important for me to carry that gender flag, as I know it is for Anna Serner and other Swedes.

I think it’s symptomatic that the world’s strongest symbol for climate change, - Greta Thunberg - is also Swedish. Maybe Sweden has is safer environment than many other countries when it comes to letting people talk about change without being ”punished”. That was very obvious to me with #MeToo, as colleagues who dared to go public in Finland, Denmark and Norway were treated very badly. Today, we all stand together in the Nordics.

What key areas have you focused on since you took the helm of WIFTI?
HG: There are three areas that we’ve focused on: - connecting all our members around the world, so that we can push for change together - sharing knowledge and good practice - increasing women’s visibility” by creating events and attracting media attention.

For instance last May, we’ve launched the WIFTI Talks, consisting of a series of live and online 10 minute talks to crack the nut of how to make the film and television industry more gender-balanced.

In Berlin you've launched the programme 10% for 50/50, whereby film productions that provide gender balance can get 10% discount from production services. How is this being implemented? What is your action plan and timeline?
HG: Now that we’ve done a proof of concept and got many and big power players on board [including Umedia, FilmGear, Storyline], the next step is to scale up. The programme will be presented in Auckland, New Zealand at the ‘Big Power of Inclusion’ Summit [October 3-4, 2019].

Concretely, what are the key areas where urgent actions are needed to achieve gender equality?
HG: The most important is not numbers and statistics, but to achieve greater transparency in financial allocations from public bodies and broadcasters. This is crucial for effective implementation of gender equality commitments. The SFI is among the few funding bodies that do this. Funding organisations and broadcasters are pretty good at creating gender awareness, and hiding behind the ‘quality’ argument.

But a report published by the London School of Economics, investigating quality has shown that quality is the taste of those in power. There is not one unique truth about what is quality. We simply want people sitting on public money to be 100% transparent. The reality about gender balance in our industry should be visible to all.

At this week’s EU conference in Helsinki, you will discuss gender balance from a content perspective. Do you feel content in film and TV today reflects in a more positive way gender diversity?
HG: Definitely. Working as a film coach, in many parts of the world, I’m very hopeful when I see the level of education among younger filmmakers. The creators are not the problem. The power players are…sorry to say.

Click here for live streaming of the Helsinki conference on September 10-11.