The industry is getting “nervous about telling important stories.”

“It’s becoming extremely safe,” said Andri Omársson, CEO of the Icelandic production company Glassriver.“The line I always get is that ‘the news is horrifying to watch, so our productions should be entertaining and glossy.’ In Iceland, we are telling non-English stories, which makes it even harder to finance internationally.”

Opening up during the Berlinale Series Market panel “Changing the Narrative: Gender Balance in the Industry,” presented in partnership with Variety, Alicia Remirez said: “In Germany, if you develop a show, there’s a good balance of female and male producers and writers. But it’s mainly male producers who get commissioned. We need to take a closer look at who’s behind producing the shows. It’s not as balanced as it could, or should, be.”

Remirez, CEO of Constantin Film, agreed with Omársson. Wars, the pandemic and ongoing crises have convinced decision-makers that audiences need “light entertainment.” But it shouldn’t come at the expense of the female perspective. 

“You can have ‘Barbie’ or ‘Bridgerton,’ which has a strong female perspective and is also very successful,” she pointed out. 

New series “Monyová,” about a famous Czech writer who was murdered by her husband, combines entertainment and social issues. Just like Simona Monyová’s books. 

“She wrote romantic novels, but she was actually very self-deprecating. After her murder, it became clear she was writing about her relationship and what she endured,” explained Barbora Námerová, one of the series’ creators.

“Her voice [in the books] was so strong it allowed us to portray her as more than a victim. I feel we gave Simona her voice back.”

Námerová, also behind features “Filthy” and “Nightsiren,” admitted it has become easier to tell stories about women and the violence they experience. 

“When we were working on ‘Filthy’ it was before #MeToo and no one wanted to hear about rape or its aftermath. With “Monyová,” [co-creator and creative producer] Klára Follová had to be really brave. Not only because we wanted to talk about femicide, but also because she wanted to have an almost entirely female team,” she recalled.

“I think things are slowly changing. But we still needed this woman to push us through.” 

Even in Iceland, which elected the world’s first female president, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, gender balance remains a “big topic,” noted Omársson.  

“Every producer, male or female, needs to constantly keep an eye on it. We need to ask ourselves: How can we nurture the female narrative and ensure that it thrives? Five years ago, we established strict guidelines in our company. We now have gender balance in our overall cast and crew, as well as in our higher-level roles.”

Certain storylines, especially those involving gender violence, require a more balanced group of collaborators. While Omársson-produced series “Cold Haven” was originally developed in Portugal by two female writers, the team has expanded. 

“We added a male writer from Iceland and, once the storyline became abusive, we needed an Icelandic female perspective as well. We also had seven external editors to provide creative notes on this topic in particular. It took some time, but it felt important,” he said.

“In Iceland, two of our three commissioners are women. It’s a great shift, but we’re influenced by what the market is buying. We divide our slate into two categories: one that caters to market demand and the ‘passion projects.’ We shouldn’t forget the important stories we want to tell.” 

While it’s easier to point out the lack of gender balance in certain societies, most problems –the lack of equal pay or male dominance in technical departments – persist. 

“I’m of a Spanish background, and it’s easy to say that a ‘machismo’ society isn’t right for women. It’s so obvious. But just because things are more subtle, like in Germany, doesn’t mean they are any less painful,” noted Remirez.

“There’s still a lot of work to be done in Germany and diversity is an even larger issue. So many people are excluded from our industry. I really want us to grow, even if worldwide politics are so conservative right now. I think we are on our way – I just hope we don’t stop.”

With “Monyová” expanding into the documentary series “Love Doesn’t Hurt” about domestic violence, as reported exclusively by Variety, it’s also necessary to think about “who owns the stories,” said Námerová. Especially when it comes to true crime or trauma.

“There’s a huge debate about this in Czech Republic [connected to the film ‘Broken Voices’]. We need to think about the families of the victims, or even the perpetrators. I hope we will be more sensitive.” 

Via a statement shared during the panel, the show’s director Zuzana Kirchnerová admitted she wanted the audience to experience Monyová’s emotions “alongside her”: “That’s why I often used close-ups of the lead actress’s face, keeping the camera in intimate proximity. The physical closeness of the camera reflects the character’s vulnerability and fragility.”

Remirez also noticed a shift in how sensitive or violent scenes are depicted. 

“I was just talking to two young men, one a director and the other a screenwriter. They’re struggling to understand how they can become good partners to women in the industry. There is a movement, I feel. Open-minded men want to be allies, and this is the way to do it. You include people,” she observed. But having female commissioners is key. 

“I am keen to speak to our commissioners and say: ‘You have to invest into female producing.’ The content might not be utterly different, but it might be different enough to actually make a difference.” 

Omársson added: “I would also love it if we could normalize good behavior.” 

“Even shows that aren’t gender-balance themed should be developed with these metrics in mind. It would be good for everybody.”