Statement about Munroe Bergdorf at BFI Southbank 16 June 2018

BFI Southbank’s Woman With A Movie Camera Summit will welcome over 35 women filmmakers, writers, artists, and cultural thinkers to speak about the role of gender and activism in cinema and media. This provocative day will hail courageous trailblazers of the past, champion new voices in film criticism and programming and explore movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp, all while celebrating the women who’ve defied the odds to make their mark on the international film and media industries.

For our keynote speaker we expressly wanted a voice outside of filmmaking that could widen the lens. We invited Munroe because she represents a contemporary and interesting perspective on the subjects of the day, and she will discuss her experiences as a trans-activist and the making of her recent Channel 4 documentary What Makes a Woman. The BFI is an inclusive organisation which welcomes people from all communities. We appreciate that Munroe’s involvement has provoked a strong and mixed reaction and we hope it will help further the gender debate in a positive and constructive way and encourage audiences to recognise and acknowledge the quality and value of difference, which we believe is a benefit to our industry and to our wider society.