Unearthing the profoundly troubling systemic obstacles to women’s
advancement in science and beyond.

THE LEADERSHIP

ADVANCE SCREENING: with Q&A screening & panel discussion,
Thu 29 Sept at Luna Leederville

M, 97 mins | BOOK TICKETS | MEDIA MATERIALS

“Everyone who sees this film responds by needing to talk about the events and issues revealed in the film, so we are presenting a Special Event Q&A screening at Luna Leederville. We hope the film prompts the audience to consider the issues of our time – what does effective leadership look like and what kind of leadership does the earth need right now?” Dark Matter’s Head of Distribution Courtney Botfield

To further the conversation on diverse leadership and the importance of science in decision-making, join us for a unique and revealing Q&A advance screening event on Tuesday 29 September with a 6.15pm arrival for a post-film panel discussion with special guests following the 6.45pm session.

Hosting the Q&A will be Tania Chambers OAM, Chair of the WA Screen Industry Diversity Leadership Group, Member of Screen Australia's Gender Taskforce and Founder and Producer at Feisty Dame Productions. Tania was previously Chief Executive of Screenwest and Screen NSW, as well as a former member of the Western Australian Screen Industry Advisory Group and a former Vice President of Screen Producers Australia.

Joining Tania will be Lauren Sandon, Environmental Advisor/Environmental & Sustainability Manager – and a participant of the inaugural Homeward Bound journey (as documented in The Leadership). Jillian Formentin, President Engineering Australia– and Allison Selman, founder of WISE (Women in Subsea Engineering), and the 2019 WA EA Professional Engineer of the Year.

Set against the planet’s last untouched wilderness, The Leadership is an observational documentary that delivers an unexpected and original reflection on what it takes to be a good leader while unearthing the systemic obstacles to women’s advancement in science and beyond.

Written and directed by Ili Baré in her feature-length debut, and produced by multi-award-winning Bunya Productions’ Greer Simpkin (Mystery Road, Sweet Country), The Leadership documents an ambitious leadership initiative for women working in STEMM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Maths and Medicine) called “Homeward Bound”. As the maiden voyage of the pilot program set sail for Antarctica in 2016 with the first 76 scientists on board, Australian documentary maker Baré and her small film crew joined the voyage to document the experiment ‘warts and all’.

The global pandemic and urgent crisis of climate change are showing us that we need to be guided by science now more than ever. At the same time, our world leaders have never been more scrutinised. The world is crying out for the best minds of our generation for solutions. But women are disproportionately excluded from both leadership and STEMM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Maths and Medicine).

The Leadership delivers an altogether unexpected and original reflection on what it takes to be a good leader while unearthing the profoundly troubling systemic obstacles to women’s advancement in science and beyond.

The Leadership had its World Premiere at this year’s Sydney Film Festival and screened as part of the 2020 Melbourne International Film Festival. It has also been selected for the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE SEASON STARTS 1 OCT @ LUNA LEEDERVILLE

THE LEADERSHIP - PARTICIPANTS

Set against the planet’s last wilderness, The Leadership unearths the profoundly troubling systemic obstacles to women's advancement in science and beyond.

Fabian Dattner
Leadership Consultant, CEO, Dreamer. From: Melbourne, Australia
The expedition to Antarctica is the brainchild of leadership expert Fabian Dattner. It is the first of ten such expeditions to Antarctica for women in STEMM over a decade. Dattner believes she and her team have the power to change the women onboard through their transformational leadership course.

Lauren Sandon
Environmental Scientist. From: Perth, Australia.
Environmental scientist Lauren Sandon steps aboard registering just how different this is
going to be for her – in her private consultancy work, she is used to being the only woman on site for weeks on end. Now she is surrounded by 75 other female scientists. Lauren is a sunny presence on the boat, but soon reveals she has been nursing hurt and confusion over an incident that happened on site.

Anne Christianson MSc
Biodiversity Conservation. From: Minnesota, USA / Washington DC
Having worked as an advisor to a US Congressman, Anne believes the
world’s best chance for change lies at the nexus of science and power. She heads to Antarctica in search of ways to change and cope with a political culture that does not welcome women.

Dr Sarah Charnaud
Molecular Parasitologist From: England/ Zimbabwe/ Melbourne.
Parasitologist Dr Sarah Charnaud is passionate about a cure for malaria, but her confidence,
amongst other things, is holding her back. Sarah is motivated to stay in science for very personal reasons.

Dr Deborah Pardo
Population Modeller. From: Marseille, France. Living and working in Cambridge UK,
French-born Population Modeler Deborah Pardo is questioning her place in science. Her dream does not match the reality of her successful scientific career.

Songqiao Yao MBA, MPHIL
On-board Communications.From: Dongying / Beijing, China
Songqiao Yao is the only Chinese woman on the expedition. In fact, the 76
scientists on board are overwhelmingly white. Both a participant in the leadership training and an assistant in Fabian’s team, it is her task on board to communicate the experiences of the 76 scientists to a Chinese audience.

Dr Samantha Grover
Soil Scientist. From: Melbourne, Australia. Visiting Carlini Station, an Argentinian research base,
Sam is captivated by what is underneath her feet – Antarctic moss and soil. She had expected the soil to be covered in snow, so it’s a bittersweet reminder of the rapidity of climate change. There is no mistaking Sam’s drive and passion...but Sam is not sure there is a place for her in science.

Dr Meredith Nash
Sociologist From: Hobart, Australia / Chicago, USA
In 2016, sociologist Meredith Nash is onboard as a researcher to evaluate the Homeward Bound impact.
She is also a participant. This dual role gives her a unique perspective as the voyage unfolds.