Venice Film festival is around the corner and gender equality still remains a question for this huge event. At Wednesday’s opening press conference for 75th edition of the festival reporters were interested in the #metoo related questions. When the organizers were questioned about the lineup for the second year’s it’s one female director, Jennifer Kent with The Nightingale.
When the Biennale President Paolo Barrata and Jury President Guillermo del Toro were asked about their part in gender equality and #metoo movement in world festivals, how they too have a responsibility to work to represent women or people in color Barrata avoided the question by talking about how gender inequality hits every area of art be it dance, art, architecture and so on. He also mentioned how his team was open about its statistic and the entered were no more than 21% from females.
However unlike his peers Jury president Del Toro openly talked about how it’s their responsibility to ensure the gender equality in the festival contradicting the rest of the panel.
“For me, I think the goal has to be clear and has to remain 50/50 by 2020, I think of its 50/50 by 2019,better” -Del Toro
He also empathized with the voices and people who are to be heard but are being silenced and should be heard. He also talked about how for decades if not centuries this issue was never talked about or even thought about as a problem but this is the time when not only Venice film festival but rest of the festivals should work on too.
