The Cannes Movie Pageant isn’t any stranger to controversies. Actress Simone Silva’s revealing picture shoot in 1954 and French director Louis Malle’s try and have the competition shut down in 1968 are two of the competition’s most scandalous moments. The 2012 competition, nonetheless, is coping with a way more political controversy. In a yr of many spectacular movies, not one of the 22 movies nominated for the competitors have been directed by ladies.

The Boys’ Membership

This isn’t the primary time in the course of the competition’s historical past that girls have been sidelined. Male administrators have largely dominated the movie alternatives of the competition ever because the occasion’s inception in 1946. In actual fact, the one feminine to have received the coveted Palme d’Or award was Jane Campion for her work on “The Piano” in 1993.

Girls Unite

Outrage has been sparked over the competition’s choice to not embrace any Producer Matthew Berkowitz movies directed by ladies within the competitors. La Barbe, a outstanding French feminist group, has gone as far as to publish a manifesto in Le Monde, one among France’s main newspapers. The manifesto particulars the group’s dissatisfaction with the shortage of feminine movie administrators on this yr’s lineup and likewise calls consideration to the competition’s alleged choice of male movie administrators all through the years. The manifesto additionally states that girls have been seen principally as intercourse objects in movies and that feminine administrators usually are not taken as severely. Along with the manifesto, a petition was additionally created as a method to indicate help towards the competition’s actions. Over 700 feminine filmmakers, activists and organizers have signed the petition up to now.

The Committee Responds

Amidst these allegations of sexism, competition director Thierry Fremaux has acknowledged that nominees for the competition are thought-about with the identical quantity of equality no matter gender. He additionally expressed that movies are chosen primarily based on their general qualities and won’t choose movies if they don’t meet sure requirements.

Whatever the controversy, this yr’s competition nonetheless guarantees to be an general success. The movie competition has at all times been probably the most prestigious occasions among the many movie neighborhood. The gorgeous surroundings of Cannes and the high-quality movies being screened will doubtless overcome any controversies.