Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Jessica Chastain Was 'Disturbed' By The Depiction Of Women After Sitting Through All The Movies At Cannes
Pedro Almodovar, Jessica Chastain and Paolo Sorrentino at the Palme D'Or winner press conference during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 28, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
()
Watching 20 movies in 10 days would be a whirlwind for anyone, let alone someone tasked with judging said films for one of the world's most prestigious film festivals. For actress Jessica Chastain, a role on the jury at Cannes led to a sobering realization about the portrayal of women on the big screen.
“This is the first time I’ve watched 20 films in 10 days, and I love movies and the one thing I really took away from this experience is how the world views women,” Chastain said at the festival's closing press conference.
Say that, @jes_chastain. pic.twitter.com/H7QHnEE5JA
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 29, 2017
"It was quite disturbing to me, to be honest," Chastain said, adding that there were a few exceptions. "But, for the most part, I was surprised with the represenation of female characters on screen in these films. I do hope that when we include more female storytellers, we will have more of the women I recognize in my day-to-day life. Ones that are proactive, that have their own agency. They just don’t react to the men around them. They have their own point-of-view.”
Support for LAist comes from
According to the Guardian, Cannes has "long been criticised for its treatment of female film-makers." Only one woman, Jane Campion, has ever won the Palme d’Or, the festival's highest honor. Chastain is also no stranger to critiquing the unfair treatment of women in Hollywood, or standing up for women's rights in general, particularly on Twitter, where the actress is a welcome and whip-smart addition to the usual 140-characters-at-a-time commentariat cesspool. A few choice examples from the healthcare debate earlier this year:
Please Steven, tell me more about what women want. I need your insight. https://t.co/2ZeJLhs5cE
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) March 19, 2017
Thank you Mark for teaching me about feminism. Perhaps with your help, I too can become a 'real' feminist. https://t.co/HnsIbb4E8z
— Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) March 19, 2017
Back in the south of France (but a few days before giving the since-viral press conference answer shown above) Chastain took a break from red carpet gowns to stay on message, showing up at a beachside hotel on the famed Croisette in a white "We Should All Be Feminists" tee (the line references a 2014 essay by writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie).
Perhaps there is no greater testament to Chastain's assertion "that if you have female storytelling, you have more authentic female storytellers," than the forthcoming Wonder Woman movie. With Patty Jenkins at its helm, Wonder Woman is the first summer tent pole superhero film directed by a woman, and the effect is profound. The film, which currently has a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, is arguably more fun to watch than any superhero movie I've seen, in large part because Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman feels like such a dynamic, fully-fleshed out character—motivated by her own desires and struggles as opposed to just playing fill-in-the-blanks second fiddle to some man's storyline.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist