Raising the visibility of women this month with Ness Simons
Ness Simons
Women have been left out from our history and overlooked far too often. Women’s History Month is a time to showcase the talent and creativity that lives within our female-identifying community.
Revry honors the contributions made by women to our history and society to provide recognition and encouragement of a more inclusive future. Directors, actresses, writers, and more; we’ll be interviewing creative and inspirational women who make a difference with their art.
Ness Simons is a Wellington, New Zealand based writer and director. Ness is the writer and director of ‘Pot Luck’, a 12 episode web series about three lesbian friends reflecting and confronting friendship, family, and finding love. ‘Pot Luck’ was NZ’s first lesbian web series and won several nominations and awards.
What does Women’s History Month month mean to you?
I'm actively seeking out women’s stories in books, films and series all year round, and then Women's History Month really brings that into focus and helps me discover new stories and people I've never heard of, especially in a global context. Women's History Month really raises the visibility for some of the incredible women, past and present, who change the world in small and monumental ways.
There are so many unacknowledged women who made history. Is there a women creator that has impacted your work?
So many! One of the earliest would be Leslie Feinberg's 'Stone Butch Blues', reading this novel as a closeted young person and feeling truly seen. I'm inspired by incredible screen storytellers like Deepa Mehta, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michaela Cole, Alice Wu, Merata Mita, Jamie Babbit... I could go on and on! There are so many amazing women and non-binary people writing novels and music, making films and series - it's a struggle to keep up! I love how bold and challenging and beautiful their stories are, and I love when it challenges me to raise my own bar.
History is inspirational to future generations. What advice would you give the next generation of women creators?
Oh I think they're doing OK without my advice! I guess one thing that I always try to keep in my mind is how much power we have as storytellers, and how much responsibility comes with that. We really can change hearts and minds, or reinforce crappy stereotypes and oppression if we're not careful... so try to be aware of what you intend with every moment!
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Revry has curated a powerful collection of stories told by female artists featuring films, TV series, music, and more.
