Little Red Riding Hood Victim No Longer

There's creativity. There is show business. And then, there's a blend of moxie, talent, confidence and craft that Catherine Hardwicke simply calls "bad ass."

It's this latter ingredient that defines not only her overall approach to the task of directing, it's a palpable and rather silky thread running all the way through Red Riding Hood, Hardwicke's latest movie that takes on the timeless story of a little girl, a granny and an encounter in the woods.

Hardwicke couldn't be more proud of the potent femme at the centre of her reel, and she says the theme of empowerment steeped through the entire process.

"I think we've made history here, because most of the key creatives were women," says Hardwicke, pointing to the female cinematographer, as well as most of the senior production team. "We even had a female colour timer from Montreal (Maxine Gervais). . . . She was totally bad ass."

Hardwicke says the critical female mass did bring a whole different angle to the endeavour. "There was a lot less ego, that's for sure," she says. "There was also less fighting. We'd talk about stuff . . . but everyone was also super laser-focused on the work. I wasn't even specifically looking to hire women, it's just that these women were the best for the job."

Check out the entire article here.