'I find it heartbreaking:' Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig on Hollywood misconduct revelations

For her solo directorial debut, Greta Gerwigincluded some of what she loves the most from the movie-making process: a substantial rehearsal processand creating an atmosphere on-set where every person felt valued.

It's something that strikes to the heart of the scandals now plaguing Hollywood, where a growing number of women and men are coming forwardwith allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful figures.

"It's very easy to create a set where the actors count. Or the [director of photography]counts or the director counts," Gerwig toldCBC'sEliGlasner.

"But, I feel like everyone from the[production assistants]on up should be counted as a whole person, because I feel like everyone's spirit and effort goes into what the movie is."

While Hollywood, its dramatic power imbalanceand toxicworkplace culture are under the spotlight right now, "it seems to be a larger problem in general," she added.

"I love film so much and I only ever want that to be a place where people can be vulnerable and can be passionate and excited about this and not have it be something that's abused for someone else's power grab and I find it heartbreaking."

The California-born actorhas spent a lot of timeon movie sets, having appeared in more than two dozen films in the past 10 years.She stepped behind the camera to write and direct her first feature film,Lady Bird,whichThe New York Timeshas called "big-screen perfection."

It opens in theatres Friday.

Amid the mounting sexual harassment allegations in the film industry,Gerwigsays that the answer rests witha changing of the guard.

"I was at a film festival [in October]... and we were talking about Patty Jenkins and Dee Rees and Sofia Coppola and KathrynBigelowand all these amazing female filmmakers who are kind of both established and also the new ones coming up,"she explained.

"I feel like that's really, to me, where the solution is to so much of this, is passing the torch to these young, diverse filmmakers, both male and female, but who are able to occupy power within, and not power over."

'Every single person on-set counts:' Lady Bird's Greta Gerwig

7 years ago

Duration 2:36

The actor-turned-filmmaker talks to CBC's Eli Glasner about putting her own life experiences into her directorial debut.