The issues of sexism and lack of diversity in the film industry have been brought out into the open over the past months in a way that these long-gestating problems haven’t before. There was much talk following the surprise Oscar snub "Selma" received in January, and more recently, figures like Carey Mulligan and Kristen Stewart have made very public statements about their views on the industry and the difficulties women face. Now, with the Cannes Film Festival just one day away, honcho Thierry Fremaux — who has often faced criticism for the lineup of the fest not being diverse enough — has weighed in on the topic.
"I think that every person, wherever he or she may be, must ensure that they contribute to the debate, and that debate is simple: cinema, just like society, needs diversity, and needs to promote new voices, new styles, new faces and so on," he told Cineuropa. And for Fremaux, he makes the interesting observation that it all begins with financing. Until more varied sources of money are found, the same limited kinds of voices will continue to be promoted.
"Clearly, money and the fact that it is concentrated in one place are threatening independent film production and the emergence of new talents. But cinema as a whole will be in jeopardy if those who bring it to life do not stand together to protect its fundamental principles. From this point of view, while we have to show ourselves to be vigilant, I think that everyone agrees on the crux of the matter. Cannes is also a place where we encourage political debate on cinema," he explained.
And so, let the debate continue in our comments section. Does Fremaux have it right that new avenues for emerging and diverse voices need to be found? Can those at executive levels make a difference? Let us know below.
I think what Fremaux is talking about is diversity of opinion, perspective and background.
The author of the article seems to equate diversity to having higher levels of melanin in your skin and/or not a Y-chromosome.
I sent a diverse, original film to Cannes. It\’s a great film and has been accepted to several other festivals. It\’s called "John of God the Movie". They didn\’t accept it so…what does that mean? I don\’t know. I agree we need more resources but they definitely could have been more diverse if they wanted to.
If "money being concentrated in one place" doesn\’t mean Disney or Marvel then the consumer is as much to blame as the studios for a lack of diversity. I get it, as an aspiring filmmaker myself, I crave escapism too… But, is it still a surprise for audience members who attend any Marvel film to not anticipate an explosive start, dramatic villian, or ending that hints at future sequels…? It\’s the same as watching the Kardashians or Real World, Jerry Springer, Teen Mom… People want to forget their mundane miserable lives with garbage that makes them feel better or to witness pure fantasy to simply numb themselves. Perhaps if we can evaluate ourselves, we could seek out the different stories by many a diverse artists, and that we might reflect upon such to allow the future of films to thrive in vastly different ways where we all don\’t need to be saved by Superheros anymore.