So what do the ladies of film have to say to women? They’re still figuring that out. They might be on the big screen, but they’re just like you: women learning, growing, and finding their way in a world that sometimes makes us want to scream.
“Being a woman is exhausting. It's a full-time job,” Schlag said.
We can all agree that it’s important to hold space for others, stand tall, and be yourself. But sometimes, this is easier said than done. So, here’s what the girls have to say, after a season of leaning on each other and growing in skiing.
Producer Iz La Motte: “I think women so often are convinced that they need to be small to make everyone else happy. We're past that point. Make yourself big, ask for what you need, scream it from the rooftops, and don't let anyone else make you feel small.”
Photographer Katie Cooney: “Don’t let yourself listen to the people that don't want to be there with you or don't want you to be with them. and don't be afraid to ask allies around you to speak up with you.”
Athlete and Producer Sierra Schlag: “I think as women, you suffer from imposter syndrome, and you sometimes are like, do I deserve this? Do I deserve to be paid in the ski industry? I'm not skiing as crazy things as the men in my life or in the ski world. But through this whole process, I'm learning that I do. And it has gotten me contracts and more opportunities that will hopefully boost my ski career.”
At some point, we need to acknowledge that this feeling of being an outsider in our own bodies, this immense weight of living up to some imaginary standards, is a product of inequity. By creating a space filled with women who look like us, ski like us, and dance like us, we can be empowered to make the world more inclusive.
Hopefully one day we can say: we did that, we changed. And not: why are we still fighting for the same rights our grandmothers wanted? Until then, the next time someone says, “Why do we need another all-women ski movie?” Remind them that most ski movies are made up entirely of men.