In Cannes this year, the Red Sea International Film Festival celebrated the achievements of Women in Cinema – both in front of and behind the camera – who are helping to shape the film industry and inspiring a new generation of talent in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Four of these women – French-Sengalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy, Thai actress-model-singer Freen, Saudi singer and actress Aseel Omran and Saudi actress Adhwa Fahad – all stepped into Deadline’s Cannes Studio to talk about their current projects and how they feel the issue of gender parity in the entertainment business is shaping up.
“There are opportunities for women, but we need to do more because it’s not enough,” said Sy, director of last year’s Cannes Competition entry Banel & Adama. “Last year when I was in Competition, there were seven women in Competition and this year just four. I think there’s space for us, but people don’t want to give us the space. It’s our right to be there – we are allowed to be there, but people don’t want us to be there.”
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Commenting on the current #MeToo movement in France, she expressed that it made her feel a little bit “sad and depressed” because it’s moving “really slow.”
“I think the day we’re not going to hear this question [about gender parity] is the day we know we at least have achieved what we want,” added Omran, who has appeared in Netflix’s Black Crows, Qabel Lil Kaser in addition to releasing three studio albums.
Freen, who starred in Secret Crush on You and Gap: The Series, the latter of which gained her widespread fame internationally and multiple awards, talked about how her career’s global reach has benefited through her shows appearing on major internet platforms such as YouTube. “Whatever we want to do, there is an opportunity for us to put ourselves out there and stand out,” she said.
Check out the video above.