Halle Berry on turning director for Netflix's 'Bruised': "Women can be in charge"

Halle Berry will be seen as a disgraced mixed martial arts fighter trying to reclaim her lost title and honour in her upcoming film Bruised. The Netflix sports drama, which has also been helmed by Berry in her directorial debut, is slated to premiere on November 24 this year. Talking about her directorial stint at the Elle Women in Hollywood celebration, Berry shed light on the trials and tribulations women go through to carve a niche in a male-dominated territory. 

She revealed that it's hard for women to find their voice and step into their power, adding that after struggling for the last two and a half years, she is proud of finally getting to the other side of things. Berry, whose film was acquired by Netflix after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, iterated that females can take charge and narrate stories from their point of view. 

Halle Berry on turning director with Bruised

Addressing the hardships during the filmmaking process, the Oscar winner motivated women to forge their way forward, further thanking the men in her life who supported her for the 'new swing' in her career. The actor was honoured during the awards ceremony, which featured other celebrities like Rita Moreno, Gal Gadot, Jennifer Hudson, and Eternals stars Gemma Chan, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek. The Marvel star cast skipped the event due to possible exposure to COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, Berry's Bruised showcases Jackie Justice's journey from being a long-forgotten MMA fighter to reclaiming her lost title after defeating a rising martial arts star, while dealing with the return of her 6-year-old son she gave up as an infant. The film has a screenplay by Michelle Rosenfarb, while Basil Iwanyk, Brad Feinstein, Guymon Casady, Linda Gottlieb, Erica Lee among others are bankrolling the project. 

Apart from Berry, it also stars Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim, and Stephen McKinley Henderson in pivotal roles. Meanwhile, Halle will be seen in the science fiction film titled Moonfall, which also stars Patrick Wilson, John Bradley, Charlie Plummer in pivotal roles. She also has another science-fiction drama directed by Matthew Charman, titled The Mothership in the pipeline. 

(IMAGE: AP)