Helen O'Hara

Helen O'Hara is a film journalist writing for Empire magazine, amongst others.

Current publication: WOMEN VS HOLLYWOOD: THE RISE AND FALL OF WOMEN IN FILM - Little, Brown - 18th February 2021

A call to arms from Empire magazine's 'geek queen', Helen O'Hara, that explores women's roles - both in front of and behind the camera - since the birth of Hollywood, how those roles are reflected within wider society and what we can do to level the playing field.

The dawn of cinema was a free-for-all, and there were women who forged ahead in many areas of filmmaking. Early pioneers like Dorothy Arzner (who invented the boom mic, among other innovations) and Alice Guy-Blaché shaped the way films are made. But it wasn't long before these talented women were pushed aside and their contributions written out of film history. How and why did this happen?

Hollywood was born just over a century ago, at a time of huge forward motion for women's rights, yet it came to embody the same old sexist standards. Women found themselves fighting a system that feeds on their talent, creativity and beauty but refuses to pay them the same respect as their male contemporaries - until now...

The tide has finally begun to turn. A new generation of women, both in front of and behind the camera, are making waves in the industry and are now shaping some of the biggest films to hit our screens. There is plenty of work still needed before we can even come close to gender equality in film - but we're finally headed in the right direction.

Praise:

'A fascinating polemic' ― Sunday Times

'A page-turning read, peppered with humour' ― Sight & Sound

'Women vs Hollywood is encyclopaedic, illuminating and passionate all at once, and O'Hara's erudition and love of film shine throughout' ― Sunday Independent

'A must read' -- Edgar Wright

'Women vs Hollywood is fascinating and righteous. The research is incredible, as is the storytelling. It'll be a game changer for how the history of women in film is considered and told. The history is rich and deep and robust, but O'Hara also has such a precise point of view. An incredible piece of work that is as inspiring as it is informative'-- Terri White, editor-in-chief of Empire and author of Coming Undone

'I will be quoting this liberally on Girls On Film - it's an enlightening page-turner, stacked with stories and stats that will have your jaw on the floor. Thanks to O'Hara's thorough research and sparkling writing, it works as an engaging alternative history of Hollywood as well as an important feminist film text and a call to action. I'd recommend it to any open-minded film lover, whether or not they identify as feminist - and who knows, they might do by the end' -- Anna Smith, film critic, broadcaster and host of the Girls On Film podcast

'Helen O'Hara exposes Hollywood's dirty secrets and double standards in a fascinating-slash-infuriating story of the women who wanted to make movies and the men who held them back. This is the film history we need: one that gives leading roles to people who usually only get to be background players' -- Pamela Hutchinson, film historian and critic

'The book is so well-written and researched - a fantastic read that beautifully celebrates women in Hollywood' -- Edith Bowman, broadcaster

'Women have long been pushed to one side in Hollywood. This essential book puts them back where they belong: firmly in the spotlight. A celebration of their triumphs and clear-eyed recounting of their travails, it's an incisive, eye-opening and riveting read. More than that, it'll leave you itching with indignation and wanting to see a change to the status quo. A vital call to arms for a fairer, brighter future' -- Nick de Semlyen, film critic and author of Wild and Crazy Guys

'Essential reading for all serious film fans' -- James King, film critic and author of Fast Times and Excellent Adventures and Be More Keanu

'Women Vs Hollywood is a powerful, sobering and vital work. Essential reading for anyone interested in the film business' ― The Mail on Sunday

'This call to arms puts the spotlight back where it belongs: on the women who helped make Hollywood' ― Radio Times
 

'The stories of these pioneering women directors are well-researched and enthusiastically told here through archives,scholarship, and where possible, interviews with the women whose experiences are at the heart of this book . . . Women vs Hollywood is a great introduction to the fight women have on their hands if they want to work in the movies'― BBC History Magazine