Swedish cinemas have started to rank films according to gender bias. That's a welcome change.
In order to receive an "A" rating, a movie must have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than men. Wow, this seems like this requirement would not be difficult to pass, but many films have failed, including "Lord of the Rings," all "Star Wars" movies, and all but one Harry Potter film.
This rating is a refreshing way to pull us out of our hierarchical programming that doesn't notice when men dominant our movies, and women are relegated to subordinate and submissive roles. We hope that this rating system spreads quickly, so that we reach their stated goal of seeing more female stories and perspectives on the cinema screen.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sweden-introduces-new-feminst-rating-system-to-show-if-film-passes-bechdel-test-for-female-characters/story-e6frg6n6-1226754574387
