On Saturday, 82 women in film stood together on the steps of the Cannes Film Festival to protest inequality in the film industry and at Cannes in particular. Cate Blanchett, Ava DuVernay, Kristen Stewart, and Salma Hayek were among the stars who took part in the symbolic demonstration.
"Today, 82 of our sisters gathered on the steps of the @festivaldecannes to symbolize the number of women who have been featured in the festival's competition over its 71-year history," #TimesUp wrote on Instagram. "We are proud to be a part of this action with @5050x2020. #TIMESUP."
The protest was in partnership with 50/50 x 2020, a group working for equal gender representation in the film industry by 2020.
"We are 82 women, representing the number of female directors who have climbed these stairs since the first edition of the Cannes film festival in 1946. In the same period, 1,688 male directors have climbed these very same stairs," Blanchett said at the demonstration. "The prestigious Palme d'Or has been bestowed upon 71 male directors, too numerous to mention by name, but only two female directors."
"Women are NOT a minority in the world, yet the current state of our industry says otherwise," 50/50 x 2020 wrote in a statement on the protest. "As women, we all face our own unique challenges, but we stand together on these stairs today as a symbol of our determination and commitment to progress. We are writers, producers, directors, actresses, cinematographers, talent agents, editors, distributors, sales agents and all involved in the cinematic arts."
