Maggie Gyllenhaal stated on Wednesday, Sept. 2, that women continue to face systemic barriers in the film industry, questioning the scarcity of female directors in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, according to reports by Reuters journalists Crispian Balmer and Ros Russell. Speaking as jury president on the festival’s opening day, Gyllenhaal pointed out that just two of the 21 films competing for the Golden Lion are directed or co-directed by women, highlighting ongoing hurdles in securing financing and industry recognition.
Venice Film Festival Lineup Sparks Debate Over Systemic Barriers
The main programme at the Venice Film Festival features 21 titles competing for the top prize, but only two are directed or co-directed by women, according to Reuters reporting. Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May El-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown was initially the sole title selected among 20 titles, before the later addition of NAZA, co-directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmaker Rachel Szor.
According to Reuters, Gyllenhaal told reporters on Wednesday that financing remains a major obstacle for female filmmakers. She questioned whether stories driven by women’s unique life experiences are undervalued by decision-makers. “Could it be possible that the things that women, having had a different experience of being alive in the world, want to make movies about are not always deemed high art?” Gyllenhaal said, as reported by Reuters. “Who decides what’s good? Who decides what’s valuable?”
Festival Director Defends Selection Process Amid Criticism
Festival Director Alberto Barbera defended the selection process against mounting criticism from campaign and industry groups in Italy, according to Reuters. Barbera stated that selections were made “without prejudice,” noting that 24% of submissions this year came from female directors, which marks a decrease from 30% the previous year. In July remarks cited by Reuters, Barbera defended the final lineup by arguing that the overall quality of submissions from women directors was not sufficient to secure more slots in the main competition.
Despite the low representation, Gyllenhaal acknowledged the significance of her appointment as jury president. Having made her directorial debut with The Lost Daughter in 2021, which premiered in Venice, she noted that she lacked female role models early in her career. “I was probably always a director. But I didn’t see anyone around me that was a woman doing it,” she told reporters, according to Reuters.
Did you know? Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 before she returned as the head of the main competition jury.
Cinema and Politics at the Venice Film Festival
Gyllenhaal also addressed the intersection of cinema and global politics during the opening day press conference, according to Reuters. Rejecting the notion that films can be separated from political realities—a topic that sparked debate earlier in the year at the Berlin Film Festival when jury president Wim Wenders suggested filmmakers should stay out of politics—Gyllenhaal maintained that movies reflecting genuine human experiences are “fundamentally, unavoidably political.”
“Personally, I don’t believe that there is any subject or any filmmaker that shouldn’t be heard,” she said, according to Reuters, adding that even films exploring difficult or corrupt subjects help audiences build empathy and examine darker aspects of human nature. The Venice Film Festival runs through Sept. 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many films directed by women are in the main competition at Venice?
According to Reuters, only two out of the 21 films in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival are directed or co-directed by women.
What did Maggie Gyllenhaal say about women in the film industry?
According to Reuters, Gyllenhaal stated that women face systemic barriers, particularly in securing financing for projects that reflect female experiences, and questioned who decides what is considered high art.
How did festival leadership respond to the criticism?
According to Reuters, Festival Director Alberto Barbera defended the selection, stating it was made without prejudice and pointing out that 24% of submissions came from women this year, down from 30% last year.
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