It’s the year 2010 and for the first time, a woman wins best director at the Oscar’s. It’s 2010 and a woman wins for the first time at the Oscar’s. We all remember the reign of “Boys Don’t Cry”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Lost In Translation”, “Frida”, “American Psycho” and “The Piano” at previous Academy shindigs but did you know women directed them? Only two of the mentioned films were even up for Best Director. So when Kathryn Bigelow won, I honest to God, made a fuss and welled up in tarsier-eyed glee around my mom who was like em… WHU?.

Bigelow snatching the Oscar from the quintessential balding white male director.

So here’s a little test. Name the directors you know and love. Now, name the female ones. Kinda hard eh? With international women’s day just wrapping up, one has to wonder what a day like that means.

I was just listening to the local radio, and I overheard a DJ and a listener conversing about Women’s Day. It went something like this.

DJ: What does Women’s Day mean for you?

Listener: (spangly singaporean nasalness ensues) Oh, weeelll… It means I think I am an independent woman. That women are strong! Happy Women’s Day Singapore.

Earth to ignorant Singaporean woman, International Women’s Day is a day where women in the past rallied, protested and truly fought for their rights. Demonstrations marking International Women’s Day in Russia proved to be the first stage of the Russian Revolution of 1917. It isn’t just some day where you profess empty words on how you think you’re independent like some mind numbing Destiny’s Child song. read more »