Readers Write (Sept. 30): Women in the film industry, transgender students, Community Action controversy, auto warranty worries, Hwy. 169 traffic

What does it take to make a good movie? Talent, passion, creativity, strong personality? Well, it seems that gender also plays an important role in the American film industry.

According to research from 2013, women made up only 16 percent of directors, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors. Only four female filmmakers have ever been nominated for an Academy Award for best director. Crazy, right?

Three brave and talented women from Minneapolis took a risk to show the world that cinema doesn't have gender limitations. Cara Green Epstein, Maribeth Romslo and Mim Epstein are making "Dragonfly," a movie for which the screenwriter, directors, executive producers, three main characters and a lot of other people behind the scenes are women.

"Dragonfly" is not about women. It's about family and some magic in our life. It tells the story of a Minnesota family divided by divorce and illness. Young-but-talented Abby Fry plays a girl who struggles to understand her mom and herself while solving a mystery of the magical "dragonfly" mailbox.

The film is still in production, but its creators are very excited about it. They repeat after Kathryn Bigelow: "It's irrelevant who or what directed a movie; the important thing is that you either respond to it or you don't."

A proposal being considered by the Minnesota State High School League would allow transgender students to participate in sports; this prompted a group to place an inflammatory full-page ad in the Sept. 28 Star Tribune that attacks transgender kids.

As the parent of a transgender child, I am upset and distressed to have found this in my Sunday paper. Forcing my child to act and be treated in a gender that the child has not identified with since age 3 is exactly what that hateful group wants to do.

While I have no doubt that the board members will hear much more rhetoric from people opposing the policy implementation, as a mother, I urge them to stay focused on what matters: supporting transgender kids and working against their marginalization.

• • •

Like many Minnesotans, I found the ad campaign by the Minnesota Child Protection League to be offensive and misdirected. Seems we can reliably count on that group to misidentify who really needs protection. That said, I'm happy to learn more about the Minnesota State High School League's proposal to provide safe accommodations for young people. Those at the MSHSL are doing what responsible adults are supposed to do — find solutions that are respectful and fair.

A recent letter writer attacked the federal government for "throwing money" at programs, citing abuses at the nonprofit Community Action of Minneapolis. Program funding may be federal, but planning is local, to avoid the stigma of "one size fits all." Local and state efforts are seen as "laboratories of democracy." Where there is money, public or private, there is fraud. Consider Tom Petters and Bernie Madoff. The Sept. 28 Business section headlined our medical-device giants' shedding their integrity agreements. When fraud is discovered, it should be prosecuted. Human frailty and greed is the problem, not government.

• • •

While it does not appear that Ellison personally benefited from the mismanagement of Community Action funds, there's evidence to suggest that Hayden might have. If so, that's an important distinction. But the fact remains that Ellison and Hayden (both of whom I voted for) are responsible for the work of their representatives. To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement.

Here is how I handle calls offering extended auto warranties ("State sues firm over car warranties," Sept. 25): I say I just traded in my auto. The caller may ask a few questions but always hangs up on me. Someone may call back for verification in one or two days but also will hang up. I am off the calling list for 30 to 60 days until my name comes back to the top.

I was so frustrated Monday to find Hwy. 169 in Shakopee changed back to two lanes in each direction. The three-lane structure put in place to help traffic flow following flooding in June had shaved almost 20 minutes off my commute.

With three lanes, drivers were smiling, birds were singing and the sun glistened down, saying: "Here … take this path, it is wide open to pursue your dreams. Go, dreamer, sit at your desk, drink your coffee and earn your keep."

On Monday, drivers were shaking fists and birds sat quietly as they watched tempers rising, losing a feather in angst with each honk. The sky was overcast, an omen over the land. Most assuredly, 25 percent of the Twin Cities population was late to work as a result, the lost wages causing financial and, ultimately, marital strife, leading to divorce and broken homes.

Please consider the whole picture when planning these changes. There is a lot more involved than the engineering. You're playing with people's lives (and bird's feathers). We are not just puppets on Hot Wheels tracks for you to vroom-vroom around.

Think about it.

Pretty please?