Are you disappointed that so many films are focused almost exclusively on male characters? It has proven a frustration for some Swedish cinema operators too, so they've launched a new campaign to illustrate the gender bias that can be prevalent in cinema. As reported by The Guardian, films that pass the 'Bechdel test' will be granted an 'A' rating in four cinemas in the country.

The idea behind Bechdel test was devised by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in 1985. The simple test, originally referred to as 'The Rule', examines if there are two or more named female characters in a film, and whether they talk to each other about a subject other than a man. Perhaps surprisingly, a huge amount of films fail this seemingly simple test.

Famous examples of films that fail include the whole Lord of the Rings and original Star Wars trilogies (although two of the Star Wars prequels manage to pass).

Naturally, there are many limitations to the Bechdel test. Some films - whether that's because of their setting or limited number of characters - will naturally not feature many women, while other films can easily have well developed female characters that simply do not interact with each other.

However, the test has often served as a basic indicator of how mainstream cinema is very often male-dominated. That is backed up by statistics such as the Center for the Study of Women in Film & Television finding that only 11% of protagonists in 2011's top 100 grossing films in the US were women (although a further 11% were male and female ensembles). You can read the report here, which also illuminates how female characters are often portrayed in very different ways than males.

According to Ellen Tejle, the director of one cinema taking part in the scheme, the main goal of the rating system "is to see more female stories and perspectives on cinema screens", and raise awareness of the issue. The decision - which is being backed by the Swedish Film Institute - has also met with criticism. Some commentators have suggested it's a simplistic or 'blunt' way of an addressing the issue, which could potentially result in the downgrading of films that are progressive or interesting in other ways.