Sarah Polley Addresses "Women Talking" BAFTA Snub: "No Regrets"

Sarah Polley talks about her snub at the 2023 BAFTA Awards.

The 'Women Talking' writer and director has reacted to the star-studded film's exclusion from the UK awards ceremony after it was announced that Netflix's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' broke a new record appointments.

Polley retweeted the post by Matt Neglia, host of the Film Awards Podcast, saying his "heart is really broken" for "Women Talking".

She replied, "I appreciate that, but to give context to the snub, I ate an amazing (and indulgent) number of BAFTA tea party scones and sandwiches. My plate was so tall. Got a few warning looks. I didn't listen to them. But it was worth every delicious morsel. No regrets."

The BAFTA tea party was held at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills on January 15.

Polley also welcomed the nomination of 'The Woman King' director Gina Prince-Bythewood, writing, "GINA!!!! So happy for you. May this deserved recognition continue. This nomination for you was everything. what I needed today to be happy."

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"Women Talking" stars Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Frances McDormand and Judith Ivey as Mennonite women debating what to do about rampant rape in their remote religious community. The film is based on the novel by Miriam Toews.

"It raised so many questions for me that I wanted to unpack, but also, it was a movie that I wanted in the world for my kids in terms of what it had to say about how you analyze a world that isn't working productively, how do you imagine a world that might work and how do you take the lead in creating it," Polley told IndieWire. "I worked on the script for a long, long time with many many drafts. There came a time when I was doing a draft for each character.”

Polley thought about working with Oscar-winning actress Kathryn Bigelow and accepting "systemic" sexism in Hollywood against female directors.

"It helps me take every hit in stride, to realize that's how it is," Polley said. "In a systemic way, I could kind of sit down and criticize it and be aware of wanting it to change. On a day-to-day basis, I didn't want to get bogged down. I wasn't going to be confused by a bunch of beatings. sexists that I knew were coming. Of course it does. Every fundraising meeting I had when I was trying to make my first movie, which never got made – well, sure, there's there was sexism in those meetings. The meaning was, "How could you take an actress seriously as a director?"

She added, "At some point you just can't keep smashing yourself against the wall. A few of these women made it and a lot of them didn't. We lost so much voices the same way we lost so many BIPOC voices. How many generations are we losing in the daily grind and battle of feeling like people don't want you in a room?"

The full list of nominees for the 2023 BAFTA Awards is available here.

I appreciate that, but to give context to the snub - I ate an amazing (and indulgent) number of scones and sandwiches at the BAFTA tea party. My plate was so high. I got a few warning looks. I did not listen to them. But it was worth every delicious morsel. No regrets.

— @realSarahPolley (her) (@realsarahpolley)

GINA!!!!!! So happy for you!!! May this deserved recognition continue. This nomination for you was all I needed today to be happy.

— @realSarahPolley (her) (@realsarahpolley)

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