Women, the Oscars and the Bechdel Test

Are Hollywood films ignoring women? As this is the 90th year of the Academy Awards - we find out how many ‘Best Picture’ winners pass the Bechdel Test. This is a light-hearted way of challenging whether a film meets a low standard of female representation. They have to fulfil three criteria: are there at least two named female characters in the cast? Do those two women speak to each other? And do they have a conversation about something other than a man? In collaboration with the BBC’s 100 Women team, we reveal the answer but also look at what other ways we could be assessing representation in film.

Presenter and Producer: Charlotte McDonald Producers: Charlotte McDonald and the BBC’s 100 Women team

(L-R) Actors Mahershala Ali, Best Supporting Actor for 'Moonlight,' Emma Stone, Best Actress for 'La La Land,' Viola Davis, Best Supporting Actress for 'Fences,' Casey Affleck, Best Actor for 'Manchester by the Sea,' at the 2017 Academy Awards. Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)