You only have to look at the Cannes Film Festival competition line-up from the last ten years, to see that at least two films directed by women made the cut in all but two of those contests. Pretty impressive stat, right? Well, actually, no it is not.
A complete absence of women filmmakers in the official selection in 2010 and 2012, with between one and three female names making the list in seven of those years. This year, 2019, that quota hit an encouraging, yet still disappointing, four ladies: Justine Triet; Jessica Hausner; Céline Sciamma; Mati Diop.
“The cons outweigh the pros, though, with this years Cannes in-competition selections. As far as women behind the camera is concerned.”
But look at what we could have won! Greta Gerwig’s Little Women will likely join the fall festival circuit. And there’ll be no Kelly Reichardt (though she is on Jury duty), Malgorzata Szumowska, Rebecca Zlotowski, Agnes Kocsis, or Rubaiyat Hossain. Alice Winocour‘s Proxima was certainly a hot prospect too – I was pretty sure it would make the Official Selection. And the Cannes Film Festival came just too soon for Mia Hansen-Løve‘s first English-language film, Bergman Island.
The cons outweigh the pros, though, with this years Cannes in-competition selections. As far as women behind the camera is concerned. That doesn’t mean the event is a whitewash. Nor does it mean that the festival delegate, Thierry Frémaux, and his selection committee, are being obtuse. Of course not. I might add, that very group includes documentary filmmaker, Virginie Apiou, programmer for the official radio of Festival de Cannes, Stéphanie Lamome, as well as cinema and culture journalists, Guillemette Odicino and Marie Sauvion.
Last year, there were three women directors in the Official Selection. And two of those came away with a prize (and both had previously). Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum stirred emotions across the Croissette, many fancied it to take the Palme d’Or. It had to settle for the Jury Prize. And Italian filmmaker, Alice Rohrwacher, got spoils of the Screenplay Prize for Happy as Lazzaro. The third woman, incidentally, was Girls of the Sun‘s Eva Husson.
“Nadine Labaki’s Capernaum stirred emotions across the Croissette, many fancied it to take the Palme d’Or.”
Rohrwacher actually came close to the Golden Palm, when The Wonders took the Grand Prize in 2014. Before that, it was Naomi Kawase for The Mourning Forest in 2007 to reach the summits of second spot. The Japanese filmmaker has landed films in competition four other times – Shara (2003), Hanezu (2011), Still the Water (2014), and Radiance (2017). The latter awarded the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
So, we can safely say that all three films directed by women at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival won something. Lynne Ramsay took Screenplay for You Were Never Really Here, and Sofia Coppola was named Best Director for The Beguiled. There was a growing critical push for embracing films made by women, especially with Jessica Chastain on the official jury. I, personally, thought they were going to give the Best Director prize to Ramsay.
In 2011, Ramsay came to town with We Need To Talk About Kevin. It was another year of three ladies in Competition. As well as Ramsay and Kawase, French actress-director, Maïwenn, was the victorious one – her brutally real Polisse receiving the Jury Prize. Step out of the gender bubble, for a second, and you’ll see that the competition was super-fierce.
With Michel Hazanavicius (future Oscar Best Picture champ, The Artist), and Nicolas Winding Refn (Best Director winner for Drive), for starters. The Grand Prize was shared with Cannes heavyweights, the Dardenne brothers (The Kid with a Bike) and Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia). And Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) won the Palme d’Or.
“So, we can safely say that all three films directed by women at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival won something.”
Not to mention the likes of Alain Cavalier (Pater), Pedro Almodóvar (The Skin I Live In), Paolo Sorrentino (This Must Be the Place), and Nanni Moretti (We Have a Pope) were all in the Official Selection. There was also Lars von Trier, who surely was a huge contender with Melancholia, had he not got himself booted out of the competition, the jackass.
So Maïwenn’s Jury Prize win, put into perspective, is a grand achievement. The French filmmaker would return in 2016 with My King (Emmanuelle Bercot winning Best Actress). The only other female filmmaker in competition was Valérie Donzelli, but her audience-repelling Marguerite & Julien had no chance. In 2013, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s A Castle in Italy represented the only film entry of the fairer sex. Though two actresses were handed a Special Palme d’Or (Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux for Blue Is the Warmest Colour).
But we are not talking about honors given for acting. We are looking for the top prize, the Palme d’Or, heading towards a film directed by a woman. So when did this last happen? Yes, Jane Campion for The Piano in 1993. And that was a shared Palme d’Or. Not that that makes it any less prestigious.
And we talk about the “only three” female directors in the Official Competition, and have to take into account that around, and over, twenty films make the shortlist. The ratio of women to men is bound to be in that ballpark, given the huge gulf in female and male filmmakers having motion pictures made and released each year.
“And we talk about the “only three” female directors in the Official Competition, and have to take into account that around, and over, twenty films make the shortlist.”
Had the light wind on the French Riviera blown a different direction, perhaps we could look back a Palme d’Or win for Agnès Varda, this year’s poster girl, with Cleo from 5 to 7 in 1962. And Lina Wertmüller, the first ever female nominated for the Best Director Oscar, had a shot in 1973 with Love & Anarchy. Or even Claire Denis’ Chocolat might have conquered in 1988.
More recently, the aforementioned Maïwenn (Polisse, 2011), Lynne Ramsay (You Were Never Really Here, 2017), and Nadine Labaki (Capernaum, 2018) were almost certainly considered during those private Jury conferring sessions. And Alice Rohrwacher, considered a strong favourite for the Palme d’Or in 2014 for The Wonders, was also hotly fancied with last year’s Happy as Lazzaro.
How close was Sofia Coppola for Marie Antoinette, in 2006, a ridiculously crammed year for excellence. And maybe Jane Campion was a possibility to take a rare second Palme d’Or, for Bright Star in 2009 – given the New Zealand film director also won the Short film Palme d’Or in 1986 for An Exercise in Discipline: Peel.
In 2016, two filmmakers were lavished with love for their cinematic ventures. British director, Andrea Arnold had already won consecutive Jury Prizes (Red Road in 2006, and Fish Tank in 2009), and was considered a serious Cannes Film Festival darling when American Honey was screened. Would the twice bridesmaid become the bride? And then German director, Maren Ade, arguably had the best reviewed film of the festival with Toni Erdmann. A film that surprised and wooed audiences, and many predicted it to go on and win the top prize. It was not to be.
“With four women officially in competition in 2019, and the progressive support of female directors stronger than ever, the odds for a Palme d’Or are significantly more promising.”
Just looking back at some of those names and their movies, its still a little tough to fathom that they do not have a Golden Palm on their awards shelf. But the Cannes Film Festival earns its lucrative status in its movie selections for a reason. With so little prizes to hand out, there are always going to be exceptional films and directors that go home empty handed.
With four women officially in competition in 2019, and the progressive support of female directors stronger than ever, the odds for a Palme d’Or are significantly more promising. And all four have a significant track record, including prestigious prior visits to Cannes.
Justine Triet‘s Sibyl is her third fiction feature. Her debut, Age of Panic, was in Cannes in 2013, as part of the ACID (Association for the Distribution of Independant Cinema) programme. The in 2106, Triet took In Bed with Victoria to Cannes, in the International Critics’ Week section – which favours new filmmakers at their first or second attempts. A solid track record for Triet, breeding familiarity at Cannes has been known to lead to a prize.
Austrian Jessica Hausner has been invited to Cannes since 1999, with her short film, Inter-View. Her very first feature film, Lovely Rita, screened at the 2001 festival in the Un Certain Regard section. And again in 2004 and 2014, Hausner would present Hotel and Amour Fou, respectively. Her 2019 effort, Little Joe, is her debut in the Official Selection. 2009’s Lourdes, might be Hausner’s most well-known film, adding to her credentials as a peripheral presence in the Cannes circles. Which is a good thing.
Céline Sciamma comes to the Cannes Film Festival with Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The film stars Adèle Haenel (who frequents the Croisette herself a lot), who was also in Sciamma’s first visit to Cannes, Water Lilies, in 2007. The film was selected for Un Certain Regard Award and thus a Golden Camera nominee. Tomboy (2011) was also an international success. Then in 2014, Sciamma reached even greater audience attention with Girlhood, a contender for the Queer Palm at Cannes in 2014. The French writer-director was also a screenwriter on the acclaimed animated film, My Life as a Courgette (2016).
French-Senegalise actress and filmmaker, Mati Diop, arrives at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival with Atlantique. You may have read that Diop is the first woman of colour to be selected in the Official Competition at Cannes. Another startlingly belated stat. With a background in theater, Diop broke out in 2008, starring in Claire Denis’ 35 rums, and presenting her 45 minute documentary, 1000 suns, at the Cannes Film Festival. Atlantique marks her feature film debut.
Stay tuned for more previews of the Cannes Film Festival, with extensive coverage to come through the event.