Avatar Way of Water: Focus on strong female characters was important to James Cameron

Since December 14th is Avatar: Way of Water available in German cinemas. About the often positive critic ratings for the Avatar sequel we have already reported on our website. In the course of publication, JamesCameron about the sequel, revealing interesting information about the female characters in the film. This happened during the so-called “Global Press Conference” about the film in London, in which numerous actors: inside the cinema strip were involved. Cameron was attested to have always been ahead of his time in terms of portraying women and was asked how he approached this topic in Way of Water .

Female Characters in Way of Water

In Way of Water, several women play central roles within the storyline. Cameron explains, for example, to Neytiri: “Well, it was easy with Zoe’s character, Neytiri, since she’s very strong in the first film. But what happens when she becomes a mother and something comes along from the outside that she has to prioritize? Her pride, et cetera, as the chief’s daughter [und] Princess of the Clan; what is their new social position?“

Cameron asks such questions about numerous female characters in the film and explains their careers during the press conference. In an interview with the website Variety the director also commented explicitly on Neytiri’s portrayal as a pregnant warrior: “Everyone is always talking about ‘female empowerment’. But what is part of a woman’s life that we, men, don’t experience? And I was like, ‘Well, if you really want to dig deep down the rabbit hole of female empowerment, let’s write a warrior who’s six months pregnant and fighting’“.

Avatars and teenagers

Also about the effect on teenagers Regarding Neytiri’s adopted daughter Kiri, Cameron spoke during the press conference: “I thought we had an opportunity to communicate with young teenage girls in a way that would make sense to them. I was very aware of this problem, I read ‘Reviving Ophelia’ and I have daughters of my own. I’ve seen them experience it before. I see her confusion, this sense of ‘who am I?’, identity, who’s listening to me, [und] all the things you go through as a teenager.

I researched it for ‘Titantic’ and then experienced it myself as a father afterwards. We thought there are different ways to be strong, there are different ways to be strong for a woman.“