Kate Winslet hopes that making her directorial debut Goodbye June will help “change the culture” around female filmmakers.

“I think a lot of the reason why we don’t have more female directors is because we’re all mums,” Winslet told Screen International. “We just can’t.”

The Oscar-winner also stars in and produces Goodbye June for Netflix. The story follows four siblings and their father at Christmastime as they prepare to say goodbye to the family matriarch. Winslet’s son, Joe Anders, wrote the script. 

“I’ve been a mum since I was 25 years old, so that has been my priority,” Winslet said on why she has waited so long to direct. “That, combined with juggling the life of an actress, that’s been full on enough.

“Taking this step, bringing my son’s beautiful story to life and supporting him and making that happen, it’s been incredible,” she continued.

“But as well the feeling of taking this leap and actively playing a part in hopefully changing the culture around female filmmakers is something that is important to me as well.”

Goodbye June stars Helen Mirren, Timothy Spall, Andrea Riseborough, Toni Collette and Johnny Flynn. 

“Helen doesn’t like to know exactly how you’re shooting something,” said Winslet of working with Mirren. “I found myself wanting to tell her when we were going to be extremely close on her, which, for an actress who is having to make herself so vulnerable and appear so broken down and fragile, doesn’t come naturally to Helen.

“Helen had to trust me, and I’m very fortunate that she did.” 

Winslet produced the film with Kate Solomon, with Working Title as executive producers. 

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