Photo by Belen Novelo

Clara Byrne (freshman) enjoys one of her favorite hobbies: reading.

We all know Barbie and most of us loved it. In fact, it sold $459 million on its first day. The key to the renowned director Greta Gerwig’s popular and lucrative success with this movie (and others) was that it was relatable and it made young women feel seen.
“I can go on and on about her, she’s such an amazing person and all her movies feel like home, especially Lady Bird, that’s my favorite,” said freshman Clara Byrne.
Lady Bird is about a teenage girl (played by Saoirse Ronan) who lives in the suburbs of California and wants to go to college on the East Coast, much to her hardworking mother’s displeasure. Byrne empathizes with Lady Bird’s (Christine) hunger for independence and her relationship with her mother. Although she shares that she has a better dynamic, she can relate to the bickering. But even through that, Byrne confesses that her mom is like her best friend.
Byrne not only looks up to Greta Gerwig but she explained how Lost in Translation’s star, Scarlett Johansson, “is a good role model for young women as well.”
“She’s an icon. I love all of her movies and I think she’s a really good role model and she’s a feminist. She stands up for women when Hollywood tries to knock them down. I learn a lot from her and her characters in the movies, too,” said Byrne.
Sofia Coppola was also applauded by Byrne for her “feminist-driven” movies. She elaborates that Coppola’s movies “target a lot of what women have to go through,” adding to the importance of her and Gerwig’s presence in the movie industry.
Byrne states that after she graduates she wants to study film and having strong feminist role models in her life and in the industry will certainly guide her as she goes through school and whatever follows.