Overview
- Stewart says it is "too hard" to make non‑blockbuster films under studios' "proven equations" and tentpole priorities.
- She urges a fundamental reset and suggests informal work‑arounds, saying filmmakers may need to "start stealing our movies."
- While crediting unions with protecting workers, she contends current terms and rules create "unbelievable barriers" to expression.
- She characterizes the system as "capitalist hell" that excludes women and marginalized voices, and vows to make her next film for nothing to reach even a small audience.
- Coverage links her remarks to UCLA data showing 2024 reversals for women and people of color, as her directorial debut The Chronology of Water plays in limited release.