“Girls can’t do that.”
That’s what 9-year-old Malin Alsop was told by her violin teacher when she expressed interest in a career in conducting. Now she is one of the most famous conductors in the world, and she remembers that exchange in one scene of the film. “Maestra” A documentary directed by Maggie Contreras Tribeca Festivaltakes place Wednesday through June 18 in New York City.
The documentary shines a spotlight on a profession historically largely marginalized by women. Track down her five contenders for the top prize. La MaestraCo-founded by French conductor Claire Gibault in 2019, this competition for female conductors is held every two years in Paris.
In the film, Contreras, 39, a documentary producer and directorial debutant, gives an up-close and personal portrait of the contestants as they prepare for a contest judged by Alsop and Gibault. . His five contestants featured in the film were from France, Germany, the United States, Greece and Poland.
In a recent video interview, Contreras reflected on the challenges women faced during the making of the film and on the podium at concerts. The interview below has been edited and condensed.
How did you hear about La Maestra?
During the pandemic, National Public Radio gave me a lot of ideas. My fellow producer Neil Berkley heard it too and said, “Do you think I should direct this?” And I said “of course”. It made perfect sense. The world of classical music is far away from me.
Why?
I grew up listening to classical music all the time in my house. Pop music was not something my family listened to. For better or worse, I never touched what was on the radio.
I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, so whenever the park had a free Tucson Symphony concert, my mom would always take us there. My head was in the pit and I wanted to talk to the timpani player. The Boston Pops was a concert series that aired on PBS when I was a kid and I was obsessed with conductor John Williams. As a child, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was John Williams. I wanted to be him and was swinging a wooden spoon. There was no name Marin Alsop.
What was it like fundraising for the documentary?
Everyone was always excited about this movie. They loved it from the moment they hit the play button in our teaser. But there has always been this barrier to commit. We almost stopped production twice and didn’t have the money to go to Paris until about three and a half weeks before the competition. Meanwhile, we assembled her crew of 16 to track down the women.
Our films are the epitome of what society should be. Throughout the making of this film, privileged men said: David Letterman gave us the first amount. He happens to be a fan of classical music, and he wants to spend his money making things that are good for the world.The current executive producer is a Washington, D.C. banker.
How were the five women selected?
We chose from 14 countries somewhat haphazardly as we were in a pandemic and couldn’t go to all of them. I’m a firm believer that if you put someone under the microscope of the lens, they’re bound to be interesting. You will find stories about them.
How important was it for you to be a woman to make this film?
I don’t think I’m ever going to be a filmmaker who follows social issues. The feminist themes that are important to this story, and important to our social conversation, are a by-product of how audiences are drawn into the story and become hyper-entertainment.
Could a man lead this and convince five women to open up and express themselves as quickly as I did? I doubt it and would like to think otherwise. This is why representation is so important when it comes to non-fiction storytelling. I felt safe. I was sitting there with my camera in the bedroom where people were sleeping.
One of my favorite scenes is conductor Zoe Zeniodi eating boiled eggs in the tiny kitchen of a shabby Airbnb in Albuquerque. Despite these preconceived notions about what a conductor’s life is like, the reality is quite the opposite. Conductors eat hard-boiled eggs at very cheap Airbnb.
How did it feel to shine a spotlight on one of the most sexist artistic professions?
When I first pitched this project, my attitude towards it was: “I’m talking reluctantly about another glass ceiling to be broken.” The concept of having to break the glass ceiling in 2023 is boring to me. I don’t have to tell these stories, I exist to be told. I hope I don’t have to say it again.
Your film is less about women than about female musicmakers. why?
Because if I have to fight this inaccessible world in the first place, if someone tries to say, “I’m not very sure my audience will be interested in classical music,” I have to do it. Make it as accessible as possible.
It was very important for me to get rid of the stereotypes of what a conductor is. It is an image of an authoritarian figure who disrespects musicians who tremble with fear and respect. A woman not only has to step into that role, but she has to find a way to get rid of that stereotype.
What do you want your film to achieve?
I want people to hire women like this. I hope these five women don’t quit their jobs. And I hope people walk away from cinema with the ability to answer the question, “What does a conductor do anyway?”
For me, I hope people will see me as an individual artist and not as a producer in relation to other artists. I hope my next project isn’t as difficult to fund as this one. They will support me for the next story I want to tell. Because I’m no longer a first-time director.
