When writer, director, and visual artist Elisabeth Subrin told people about her upcoming feature, A Woman, A Part—about a middle-aged actress struggling to find herself independently of her career—even actresses responded by asking her why she would tackle such a subject. Her new website, Who Cares About Actresses, is partly animated by her belief, as she explains in a simple but powerful manifesto, that “our culture does not recognize the utterly critical role actresses have as ambassadors for female identity.” Launched last November, the site (which is dedicated to Maria Schneider) showcases interviews, short films, artwork for galleries, and even Internet art in the form of animated GIFs.
Fully embracing the potential of multimedia, these selections play on issues of identity and reflect the widespread demand by many actresses for better opportunities and more diverse roles. Here you’ll find a speech by Viola Davis (pictured) at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, a biting supercut of actresses refusing to answer insipid questions on red carpets, and an insightful article on Method acting and feminism. February featured posts exclusively about black actresses, beginning with Mbissine Thérèse Diop, star of Sembene’s Black Girl. In a world saturated with images of women, this inventive and powerful intervention by Subrin and her contributors is genuinely vital.
