This text deals with the shooting of a movie comedy. The author of this text was script writer as well as director. The film was extremely dependent upon the interpretation of the role of the leading female character, but the director and the leading actress, in spite of their willingness to cooperate, were unable to understand each other, and no creative meeting ever occurred.

The film dealt, in amused distance, with male and female strategies and shortcomings, but the lack of understanding between the director and the leading actress caused the subtleties of the text disappear, so that when the film was ready it was possible to interpret it in a way that partly opposed its intentions.

From the director’s point of view different aspects of the situation are investigated: what could she /should she have done? What are the obstacles for a better understanding? Is ”understanding” dependant only upon that which is verbal? Should the director not only be a director but also a kind of therapist? What is professional and what is private? Could a director who wasn´t also the script writer have seen other solutions? And how does it affect you as a female director never to have role models, only a very clear idea of what you don’t want your professional role to look like.

The director thought she was being constantly compromising, but finds out she was not, she had only a different, and in appearance, friendly but manipulative strategy in trying to reach her goal: that of enforcing and implementing her personal interpretation of the script.

The role of director is also a role, and must be played. Men and women often do it in very different ways. Much more is permitted for men, in the name of”art.” The role of the artist is as such, defined by men. Women are expected to be reasonable and the (their) stage for action appears to be more limited. This is what is expected of them, and is also what many women try to live up to, often in direct conflict with their own interests. It is important to become a less reasonable but clearly defined person.  This often requires training. To become a good director you need knowledge, empathy and experience gained through many mistakes, and not least, you need what Aritsoteles calls fronesis.