Gillian Armstrong
Gillian Armstrong
Gillian May Armstrongis an award-winning Australian feature film and documentary director, who specializes in period-drama. Her films often feature female perspectives and protagonists...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth18 December 1950
CountryAustralia
amazing worked
I have worked with some of the most amazing costume designers in the world.
major
I have major credibility as a hip, out-there documentary filmmaker, and I'm not going to say, 'I'm only a drama filmmaker' anymore.
attach
I don't consciously go out looking for themes. They attach themselves to me.
boys hollywood money structured
Hollywood is a very old and very structured situation. There's still a lot of old boys at the top who have the money.
considered individual rather
Frankly, I get sick of being considered a 'young woman filmmaker' rather than an individual artist, as a man would be.
characters complex critics films women
Critics often say, 'Oh she makes films about strong women'. Wrong; I make films about complex characters and the choices they make.
boys dropping female lacking schools unemployed
Boys are lacking in female skills, dropping out of schools and ending up in jails and unemployed because they lack these skills.
amazing designers produced
Australia has produced amazing costume designers that are unheralded.
films touched war
After Sept. 11, there was a reticence and worrying about films that touched on war, and even more on terrorism.
cinema french hollywood italian time wave
I was a young film student around the time of the new wave in film in the 1970s; old Hollywood was naff and over. For me, as a film student, I was going to see French and Italian cinema; American cinema was 'Easy Rider' and 'Taxi Driver.' Everything was gritty.
america cable producing stations turned
Cable television stations in America are now producing such smart, in-depth, non-formula, character-based dramas. Film has turned more and more into big action or cartoons.
liberal relationships
Australia is much more liberal in accepting de facto relationships than the U.S.
affected line lives putting sake time tough
I do think the moral line you walk all the time about putting something in for the sake of the film and not being affected by people's lives is a very tough one.