When a broke and dejected feminist comedian is faced with the startling realization that her morals are keeping her from success, a rare opportunity to go out for drinks with her brother’s work mates will allow her to become the very thing she swore she’d never be. Anchored by an absolutely charismatic performance by lead actress Kartanya Maynard, Lucy Coleman’s Lean In is a snappy and captivating exploration of what it means to be a woman in a man’s world.Teetering on the edge of cringe comedy, Coleman keeps the camera trained on Rach (Maynard) as she transforms into a merciless alternate version of herself, pandering to her male audience. Deconstructing power dynamics where feminine sympathy is dismissed as weakness and acting like a man stands in direct opposition to her identity, Coleman lets the tension simmer until it finally boils over in a relentless anti-hero arc. Delightfully edgy, the lines blur and going back isn’t an option. “It got under my skin. I thought I was the problem”Born from a real-life experience opposite a male ex-coworker who considered her innate femininity as an inherent flaw, Coleman herself began to question: “How does a woman really move through the minefield of a workforce still held hostage by the patriarchy?” Furthermore, Coleman began to ponder what might happen if she joined them at their own game, throwing her own values away to reap the rewards of his world. “The initial idea for Lean In was inspired by an old, ugly workplace relationship. An older man – bullish, dogmatic, narcissistic – who only respected me when I acted like a man around him. There was no room for vulnerability. No display of empathy. And it got under my skin. I thought I was the problem. Weak, stupid, naive. But even through the fog, I clung to my integrity and values, “ Coleman tells Short of the Week.Kartanya Maynard stars as Rach as Lean In“As it progressed and I managed to pull myself from the gaslight, I saw his behavior for what it was—toxic, unchecked, and entirely unproblematic for him… but a huge fucking problem for me. I had less power, fewer credentials, zero status. I was fucked.”A reality for many women in the workforce and beyond, Coleman’s story is all too familiar. Thrust into a dog-eat-dog world shaped by patriarchy and late-stage capitalism, watching Rach lean in earns her the respect of her male peers – but at the cost of part of herself.“This isn’t a satisfying tale of female empowerment. But a dirty one.” With rapid-fire, scornfully witty dialogue, Lean In is the type of film that makes you question your integrity, challenge your societal beliefs, and dares you not to be complacent in a system rigged against you, for better or for worse. Tenaciously gripping, Lean In won Best Comedy at Flickerfest, Best Actress at St Kilda Film Festival, and Best Screenplay at Venezia Shorts. The project is also currently in development as a TV series, with development funding from Screen Australia.