COUNCIL
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So I climb on a bus to go back to where I’ m lodging while visiting Cape Town, but I’ m not sure how the system works because I see those little, red‘ STOP’ buttons everywhere and so I ask. This pleasant dreadlocked lady behind me kindly explains, but then adds“ you’ ve ��������������������������������������������������������� statement amusing, but as I seek further, explaining as I try to understand the bus system, she keeps repeating it,“ This is not a taxi”, and she smiles a pleasant smile that gets annoying with every repetition of the line. This bothers me and I sit the rest of the way trying to break down, in my head, why? As I stand up to exit the bus, I turn around to say bye and thanks for the help and ���� ����� ��� ��� ����������� ��� ����� ���� ������� ���� then I click. I turn around and tell her that I’ m not going ��������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������
Now this is such a regular occurrence, people always assuming things because of one’ s circumstances. This ������������������������������������������������������������ from Soweto, so people are suspect about my command of the English language and my sophistication, for that matter. I don’ t own a car, so people assume I’ m in the lower income bracket of our society and therefore �������������������������������������������������������� people assume I automatically would have no idea about investing in the stock market or negotiating. I choose to be an open book with people and in all my business dealings, and people think I’ m live bait!
Whatever happened to not judging a book by its cover? I sometimes think you have to wear enough fake ������� ���� ����� ������� ��������� ����������� �������� and, of course, blow enough air kisses to make an impression in this lovely industry of ours. No integrity �����������������������������������������������������
needed, please, especially if you are a pretty female actress! Then what is needed, you may ask? Well, nowadays, with at least 1000 Twitter and Facebook‘ friends’, you might just make the cut and, of course, that age old trick that seems to sell just about anything. ������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������
I’ m so tired of meeting hedonistic young performers who are only nice to you because they think you can make them famous. I’ m so tired of being overlooked for a job because of my age, because someone thinks I can’ t possibly engage with the subject matter intimately enough because I am too young to know anything about it. The library and Google are not something I can possibly have access to. I’ m so tired of being second guessed as a female director, not only by the male DOP’ s, but the female ones, and the female producers too. I’ m so tired of the constant awareness that I sometimes have to play things up and be charming, just to get some attention from a relative game changer. I’ m so tired of this nonsense, but that doesn’ t mean it will go away. Therefore, as one of my mentors once �������������������������������������������������������� to learn to play the game.” And what a game it is.
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