The next time you are watching a film or a television show, look for the mature woman. Is she the protagonist, driving the narrative with her decisions, her flaws, and her desires? Or is she a prop—a grandmother, a ghost, a voice on the phone? The answer may be disheartening. But the very act of noticing, of questioning, is the first step toward change. As Emma Thompson put it, "Older women don't need permission to exist on screen. They already exist in the world, cinema just needs to catch up." It is time for cinema to get its head out of the sand and finally see them.

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: While female actors have gained ground, the percentages of mature female directors and studio executives controlling greenlight budgets still lag behind.

and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films have consistently used their industry leverage to finance and champion narratives that subvert traditional gender and age expectations.