The University of Navarra awards a biography of Greta Gerwig, director of Barbie, Little Women, and Lady Bird.

Gema Pérez Herrera, graduate in History and Journalism from the University of Navarra, Master's Degree in Contemporary programs of study and PhD from the Program in Arts and Humanities, has been awarded the Ernestina de Champourcinaward for her research "Greta Gerwig. Biography of the director of Barbie, Little Women and Lady Bird". The award, granted by the research group in Recent History (GIHRE) of the School of Philosophy and Letters and the RedwinnInstitute for Culture and Society) of the academic center, highlights works that delve into relevant female figures of the contemporary world and the contributions made by women to civilization and culture today.

The jury highlighted that the award-winning research "recognizes in Gerwig one of the most lucid voices on the current scene and offers a profound reflection on the course of our culture. In this sense, Pérez Herrera, who currently teaching at the University of Valladolid, explains that "the West has begun a process of rejection of its cultural heritage, which is causing an identity crisis. Gerwig's work formulates from the staff the great existential question: who am I and where do I come from? She answers through what she calls transactions of grace, and in Barbie we see it clearly: under its blockbuster appearance there is an auteur film that reflects on identity and the search for meaning".

On the other hand, the filmmaker's work "seeks to make visible the universal myths that are hidden behind the stories of women, their personal journeys and their processes of change and growth". In her opinion, the value of the American director lies in the fact that "she portrays life based on what is real, not on what things should be": "In a context that is so ideologized around the issues of women and gender, her films are a breath of fresh air. It is what I call a vital feminism, because it starts from experience, not from theories".

The researcher says that her interest in Gerwig "arose spontaneously, as a result of my love of cinema and my admiration for her films. I discovered Greta when she released Lady Bird and, since then, I have followed her career as an actress, screenwriter and director. Her films have appealed to me in an even existential way, she has given me many insights on a staff and generational level". Over time, what began as a staff taste "became a scientific interest, when I discovered that cinema is also a way of writing history; it is a very valuable documentary source to understand the culture of each moment". Thus, the research, which proposes a "film biography", combines historical and journalistic sources with film analysis. "I began by writing about her films and ended up tracking down all the available sources: interviews, articles, podcasts... It was incredible to see how all the pieces of the puzzle came together, how the trajectory of her life illuminated her work. I would have loved to talk to her, but the time will come," he says.

For Pérez Herrera, receiving this award, besides exciting him, encourages him "not to stop studying, talking and writing about these topics, which are key to understanding the world in which we live and who we are". The biography will go on sale next Christmas, published by Erasmuspublishing house Almuzara).