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00:00ACTIVIST INEQUALITY IN THE HOTBED OF HOLLYWOOD. YOU SURVIVED AWARDS SEASON. WHAT WOULD BE THE SEQUEL TO WHAT WE HAVE OBSERVED THE LAST TWO YEARS ON EQUALITY IN FILM? MARIA: MY HOPE IS THAT THE SEQUEL WILL BE BEYOND ME TOO AND WILL BRING US BACK TO TITLE VII, EQUAL EMPLOYMENT LAW. TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT HOLLYWOOD AND AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA IS NOT BEING A BUNCH OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES, BUT AS BEING THE COMMUNICATION CENTER OF ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATIONS IN THE WORLD, THE PROPAGANDA CENTER, THE STORYTELLING CENTER. IF WOMEN ARE SHUT OUT AND UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE EQUALLY, THEN WE ARE EXCLUDED FROM OUR CULTURAL NARRATIVE. TOM: I HAPPENED TO BE WATCHING " CASABLANCA " LAST NIGHT, AND THERE WAS INGRID BERGMAN BAND FROM HOLLYWOOD BECAUSE SHE HAD AN AFFAIR. THAT IS ANCIENT HISTORY, THE NEW HISTORY IS IN HOLLYWOOD, YOU NEED TO GET EQUALITY DONE. HOW DO YOU DO THAT AT THE SUNSET TOWER HOTEL IN SOME LAWYER ' S OR MOVIE PRODUCER ' S OFFICE? MARIA: EQUALITY AND ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA IN THE UNITED STATES IS NOT AN INSIDE JOB. WE NEED HOLLYWOOD AND OUR INDUSTRY TO HELP, TO MOVE THE NUMBERS UP, TO CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND TO HIRE MORE WOMEN. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY IS PROTECTED BY A LAW CALLED TITLE VII, AND THAT LAW CURRENTLY DOES NOT FUNCTION IN HOLLYWOOD. THE REASON IS IF YOU WANT TO INVOKE THAT LAW, IT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS, PART OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, IF YOU WANT TO INVOKE THAT LAW BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST INDIVIDUALLY OR AS A GROUP, YOU WILL GET WHACK LISTED. THAT -- BLACKLISTED. THAT LAW CANNOT WORK. YOU ARE OUT. THAT MEANS WOMEN CANNOT SPEAK OUT USING THAT LAW. IT IS NOT AN EFFECTIVE LAW. TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM WE NEED TO MAKE THE LAW ENFORCEABLE AND THAT STARTS WITH OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH LEGISLATIVE CHANGE AND REFORM TO THE LAW. FRANCINE: WHEN YOU LOOK AT REPRESENTATIONS IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND THE CAMERA, IS IT CHANGING? HAS IT MADE STRIDES? MARIA: WE HAVE SEEN EXTRAORDINARY CHANGE IN A LOT OF WAYS. THESE ARE EXCITING TIMES. GINA DAVIS HAS BEEN DOING EXTRAORDINARY WORK FOR EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS ON THE SCREEN SINCE 2004. VERY LITTLE HAD BEEN GETTING DONE FOR WOMEN BEHIND THE SCENES. IN 2011, BEGINNING OF 2012I TOOK THE BATTLE TO MY UNION TO FIND WAYS TO CHALLENGE THE SYSTEMS AND SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN DIRECTORS. I ENDED UP BEING ABLE TO INSTIGATE AN INVESTIGATION INSIDE THE ACLU AND IT WENT TO BE PART OF THE EEOC. THERE IS A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION GOING ON. TOM: I WANT TO GET YOU ON AGAIN

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Pushing Hollywood Beyond #MeToo to Gender Equality

Maria Giese, feature film director and activist, discusses steps forward on gender equality in Hollywood and the ineffectiveness of the equal employment opportunity law in the entertainment field. She speaks on "Bloomberg Surveillance." (Source: Bloomberg)

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