[Focus] "Women's Life and Freedom" Cannes Film Festival Shouts Feminism

77th Cannes Film Festival Awards Many 'Female Narrative' Films
Golden Palm Goes to Sean Baker's 'Anora'
"Illegal Prostitution as Sex Work? A Male Perspective" Criticism
What Greta Gerwig Inviting Meryl Streep Signifies

Indian director Payal Kapadia and actors
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

The traditionally conservative Cannes Film Festival delivered a clear message this year: 'Respect for women of our time.' In France, the film industry's 'Me Too' movement reignited, and the festival expressed its support and solidarity.

A female jury president born in the 1980s... Heated debates over the Palme d'Or

The 77th Cannes Film Festival opened on the 14th of last month and closed on the 25th. Cannes appointed Greta Gerwig, director of the feminist film Barbie (2023), as jury president this year. Gerwig, a young female director born in 1983, led a jury panel consisting of five women and four men. The jury included Hirokazu Koreeda, director of Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters (2018); Juan Antonio Bayona, director of The 33; Nadine Labaki, director of Cannes Jury Prize winner Capernaum (2019); Ebru Ceylan, screenwriter of Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep; as well as actors Eva Green, Lily Gladstone, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Omar Sy.

At the Cannes jury press conference, Gerwig expressed, "I am glad to see more and more women emerging in the film industry," adding, "Fifteen years ago, this was unimaginable." Regarding the recent resurgence of the 'Me Too' movement, she stated, "It is a good thing that filmmakers are willing to share their stories and strive to create a better world."

Director Sean Baker of 'Anora,' winner of the Palme d'Or, and Jury President Greta Gerwig
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

Feminist films showed strong presence this year. The top prize, the Palme d'Or, was awarded to Anora by American director Sean Baker. The film depicts the conflicts experienced by a call girl working at a Brooklyn strip club who marries a Russian oligarch. At first glance, it seems like a Cinderella story, but it comically portrays how events spiral into chaos. Sean, a young filmmaker whom Cannes has spotlighted with films like The Florida Project (2017) and Red Rocket (2021), has previously told stories about socially marginalized groups such as transgender people and single mothers.

However, there was heated debate over whether Anora could be considered a feminist film. Critics argued that awarding the top prize to a film that views prostitution as an industry was inappropriate. Some criticized the legal acceptance of female prostitution as a male perspective. The director's acceptance speech, dedicating the award "to sex workers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow," further fueled controversy. There were objections to viewing illegal prostitution as female sexual labor.

The Grand Jury Prize went to All We Imagine As Right by Payal Kapadia, a female director in her 30s from India. The film tells the story of two women from Mumbai who embark on a journey and grow through their experiences. India entered the competition section for the first time in 30 years and won second place. The director said, "I wanted to talk about the female solidarity that we all should pursue."

French master Jacques Audiard received the Jury Prize for Emilia Perez, a film about a crime boss who undergoes gender reassignment surgery to evade pursuit, and the women who assist him. Spanish transgender actors Carla Sofia Gascon, Adriana Paz, Selena Gomez, and Zoe Saldana, who starred in the film, jointly won the Best Actress award.

The Cannes Film Festival gave a special award to director Mohammad Rasoulof, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in Iran for refusing to make female actors wear hijabs and has since sought asylum. He presented the film The Seed of Sacred Pig, which depicts protests against mandatory female hijab wearing and the Iranian government's oppression. During the screening, the audience erupted with the slogan "Women, Life, Freedom."

Meryl Streep [Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

'Honorary Palme d'Or' Award to Meryl Streep and Its Significance

Seventy-four-year-old actress Meryl Streep received the Honorary Palme d'Or this year. She is acclaimed for her roles in films such as Sophie's Choice (1983), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), The Post (2018), and The Iron Lady (2012). She won the Best Actress award at Cannes for Ironweed (1988). After receiving the award, she recalled, "At that time (1988), I was a mother of three and approaching forty. I thought my career was over." In fact, she is recognized for overcoming career interruptions and solidifying her position as a leading actress.

Meryl Streep has long criticized the male-dominated film industry structure and pervasive gender discrimination. She also spoke out willingly during the 'Me Too' movement. This year's Cannes Film Festival selecting her as the Honorary Palme d'Or recipient can be seen as recognition of her contributions. At a masterclass held at Cannes, she said, "In the past, men who monopolized power in the film industry could not see themselves in female protagonists." She emphasized, "Today, the world's biggest stars are women."

'Me Too' Movement Reignites in France... Solidarity in the Cultural Sector

Director and French actress Judith Godr?che is a courageous female filmmaker who joined the 'Me Too' movement in 2018. At that time, she revealed the sexual assault she suffered from a male film director during her teenage years. Later, on March 23, she gathered in Paris with other victims who had experienced similar incidents and documented the event on camera to create the short film Moi Aussi (Me Too). The film caused a significant stir locally. Subsequently, French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed support, stating, "The French film industry has collectively turned a blind eye to sexual violence for decades." French lawmakers unanimously agreed to a government investigation into sexual violence and gender-based violence across the French performing arts and fashion sectors.

[Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]

Moi Aussi was invited as the opening film of the 'Un Certain Regard' section, an official category at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Before the official screening, director Godr?che and the film's co-producers walked the red carpet at the Cannes Lumi?re Theatre, performing a gesture covering their mouths with both hands. They did this to appeal for global attention to the film in front of the international press.

Before the festival opened, rumors circulated in the industry that there was a list of about ten male film directors, actors, and producers accused of sexual violence, and that the festival was considering excluding works related to them from the competition section. It was impressive that the largest film festival held in France, a country of culture and arts, actively voiced opposition to the widespread corruption in the industry.