Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be directing a new Star Wars installment, but fans are quite wary of her statement from a previous interview about female-led movies. Did she really want to make men feel uncomfortable in Daisy Ridley’s upcoming project?
The famed director, known for her feminist documentaries, has been in hot waters after she made a controversial remark in an interview with media personality Jon Stewart. Now, it seems like the quote was taken out of context.
Star Wars Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Comment That Shook The Internet
In a discussion via Women in the World Summit, host Jon Stewart asked about “the balance of activating a force for change” which also deals with the power structure of patriarchy. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy responded:
“I like to make men uncomfortable. I enjoy making men uncomfortable. It is important to be able to look into the eyes of a man and say, I am here, and recognize that, and recognize that I am working to bring something that makes you uncomfortable, and it should make you uncomfortable because you need to change your attitude.”
It turns out that the filmmaker was talking about male viewers who felt discomfited with her documentaries that tackled abusers and people who remain silent in order to protect these perpetrators. She continued:
“And it’s only when you’re uncomfortable, when you’re shifty, when you have to have difficult conversations, that you will perhaps look at yourself in the mirror and not like the reflection, and then say, maybe there is something wrong with the way I think. Or maybe, there is something wrong with the way I am addressing this issue.”
Many fans assumed that the comment would be somehow relevant to her future plans for upcoming Star Wars movies and that would mean there is an agenda to make more female-led projects.
While this has caused an uproar among fans, it is worth noting that Obaid-Chinoy’s statement was taken out of context, and many reaction videos on the Internet omitted the part where she talked about certain male audiences being triggered by the subjects of her documentaries.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Is Excited For A New Jedi Order
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s 2015 statement resurfaced again after she spoke with CNN on New Year’s Eve and shared her plans for the upcoming Star Wars movie with Daisy Ridley.
“You know, I’m very thrilled about the project because I think what we are about to create is something very special. And, we’re in 2024, and I think it’s about time that we had a woman come forward to shape the story in a galaxy far, far away.”
The director acknowledged that there had been a lot of rants and campaigns against her on social media because of her approach to filmmaking and the matters she discusses in her projects, but she firmly noted that these issues should be talked about and not swept under the rug.
Obaid-Chinoy also asserted that it no longer bothers her if people feel uncomfortable because it only reflects that they are not ready for difficult discussions. As for her upcoming Star Wars movie, she mentioned feeling excited for the “promise of a new Jedi Order.”
