Four years ago I attended the Cannes International Film Festival in France as part of a student work program with the American Pavilion. While the organization and attentiveness of the Pavilion to its students could have been better, the festival itself was amazing. I was able to attend the premieres of a number of excellent films – Babel, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Volver, Marie Antoinette, and Fast Food Nation – months before the films were released to the general audience in theatres. Being surrounded by the world’s top filmmakers was an inspiration, and the beauty of a gorgeous May and the beaches of the French Riviera didn’t hurt either.
In 2006, of the 20 films in competition for Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or, three of the films (15%) were directed by women – Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola), Red Road (Andrea Arnold), and Selon Charlie (Nicole Garcia). In 2010, of the 18 films in competition, none of them were directed by women.
Women make up more than 50% of film audiences (buying 55% of the theatre tickets), but they continue to be severely under-represented both behind the camera and in front of it. The Women & Hollywood blog features some great statistics on the percentage of women protagonists in film and in various above-the-line positions from 2006 to 2009. The under-representation of women has long been known as the “celluloid ceiling” and it has been a real deterrent for both professional women filmmakers and for many young women who graduate from film school having lost their drive to write or direct, no longer optimistic about their chances in an industry that appears uninterested in their contributions.
Film is a subjective art. One man’s Citizen Kane is another’s Starship Troopers (which I’ve heard is pretty good), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t very real biases against women-centric films, even in the second decade of the 21st century. But it is surprising that a festival as progressive, artsy, international, and independent-friendly as Cannes couldn’t find one film directed by a woman that was worthy of competition for its highest honor this year.
At the grassroots level, there is a CALL TO ACTION forming, a petition circling, and protests being organized within Cannes and out to express dismay at the lack of women filmmakers in competition. To show your support, join the You Cannes Not Be Serious! Facebook group and sign the petition. As a female film goer, I want to see my life, my dreams, and my experiences on screen, and who better to answer this need for self-expression and representation than another woman?
