The Broken Hearts Gallery star Geraldine Viswanathan has said the romantic comedy genre benefits from more female-directed films.
The Australian actress appears opposite Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery in the film, which is written and directed by Natalie Krinsky in her directorial debut.
It tells the story of Lucy, a 20-something New Yorker who struggles to let go of failed romances, holding on to mementos of past relationships.
The film focuses not only on Lucy’s relationship with Montgomery’s hotelier Nick, but also on her career as an aspiring art gallery curator.
Viswanathan, 25, said having a woman in the director’s chair made the story “more truthful”.
She told the PA news agency: “Now it’s at a point where the women characters have to be fully dimensional (in romantic comedies). I think there needs to be a want that is separate from just getting the guy.
“I think that was the standard for a while and I feel like now it’s becoming so much more truthful with women directing these films.
“Lucy’s friendships and her career aspirations and all of those things are as equally important, if not more important, than the romantic storylines. For an audience to really be on-board with a rom-com these days I think that’s pretty important.”
Montgomery, also 25, agreed. He welcomed his character’s willingness to support the on-screen love interest.
He said: “We’ve been talking a lot about representation and I think a big thing for me was witnessing, seeing and portraying a role where a male is supporting the female character in the film. That’s so important to me.”
Pop singer Selena Gomez serves as an executive producer on The Broken Hearts Gallery and said she was drawn to the project by the idea of keeping souvenirs from past relationships.
She said: “It’s good to have an object to spur those bittersweet memories every now and then. Those memories are part of what makes us who we are. So yes, I connected with this story right away.”
The Broken Hearts Gallery is showing in cinemas only.