FRANCE: Alec Baldwin, Diane Kruger, Naomi Watts honour women in independent film in Cannes

Record ID: 508792

  • Title: FRANCE: Alec Baldwin, Diane Kruger, Naomi Watts honour women in independent film in Cannes
  • Date: 18th May 2012
  • Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 17, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF BLACK CARPET WITH JOURNALISTS WAITING FIREWORKS JESSICA CHASTAIN AND DIANE KRUGER POSING FOR PICTURES WHILE KRUGER'S PARTNER, ACTOR JOSHUA JACKSON, JOINS THEM FOR PICTURES CLOSE OF CHASTAIN, JACKSON AND KRUGER (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANE KRUGER, SAYING: "Women have a different point of view, they have a different cause, different raison d'etre and we want to be heard, yet I think hopefully they will encourage women to want to make a movie and hopefully it shouldn't matter if you're a man or a woman." CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIANE KRUGER, SAYING: "It's a little intimidating because usually I'm on the other side of the spectrum, you're being judged by someone whether it's a critic, a filmmaker or another actor. And at the same time, it's very humbling because all of us put so much of our heart, our love into film making. It's such a delicate process, you never know what someone is going to like and what they're not going to like." VARIOUS OF UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN, ALEC BALDWIN AND FIANCE HILARIA THOMAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEC BALDWIN, SAYING: "I think that for women it's important because the work we do, we all have to get in line, we're all trying to get scripts done. But it's tougher for women." NAOMI WATTS BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) NAOMI WATTS SAYING: "I haven't really, sort of dealt with it yet but it's definitely rising. And it's very scary, a big undertaking." CHASTAIN BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) JESSICA CHASTAIN, SAYING: "I think you know, jury member Andrea Arnold, she is a very influential women in film to me, her movie 'Fish Tank' is one of the best things I've ever seen and to have her on the jury this year in Cannes, I think is an inspiration to little girls that want to grow up and want to be filmmakers." CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JESSICA CHASTAIN, SAYING: "It's like a bookend to the year I've had because it kind of began in Cannes last year, walking down the red carpet for 'Tree of Life' premiere, holding hands with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. It was an introduction of sorts and to now be here one year later with my six films coming out, my wonderful award nominations and the people I've got to meet, it's like… I'm always surprised the amazing things I get to do." SHAILENE WOODLEY AND CHASTAIN POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHAILENE WOODLEY SAYING: "For me, regardless of what opportunities are coming in, I'm very conscious of what I do. I don't want to do something just to do it, I want to do something because I'm in love with it and I'm very passionate about it and I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon." NEW FACE OF EUPHORIA CALVIN KLEIN, DUTCH MODEL LARA STONE, POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LARA STONE, FACE OF EUPHORIA CALVIN KLEIN, SAYING: "It was all sort of very quick, very, I don't know it was sort of a whirlwind really and it was very exciting for me, obviously, it was great news and I'm absolutely thrilled to be here." JOANA VICENTE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IFP (IN THE MIDDLE) POSING FOR PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOANA VICENTE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IFP, SAYING: "There needs to be a culture shift, it's pretty amazing there's only like five percent of women who are like in positions of power, both in creative and business, in the industry and that's pretty crazy." PEOPLE LOOKING AT PHOTOS (SOUNDBITE) (English) BEN STILLER SAYING: REPORTER ASKING: "Is this a mistake or did you want to get all the attention?" STILLER, SAYING: "No I just wanted to see what you looked like from behind, you are all looking very trim and good and wonderful. It's a Calvin Klein party so you want to see what everyone is looking like from the backside." KRUGER AND JACKSON WALKING AWAY AND INTO PARTY
  • Embargoed: 2nd June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVAEPYRYCUMQVKFN3X9SLLNXZ3J
  • Story Text: In a year the Cannes Film Festival has come under fire for an absence of female directors in the main competition, Hollywood actors on the French Riviera called for more women to get behind the camera.
    The Independent Filmmaker Project or IFP joined forces with Euphoria Calvin Klein to honour women at a glitzy villa party in the hills above Cannes' famous Croisette on Thursday (May 17).
    Amongst those attending included jury member Diane Kruger, Alec Baldwin, Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts.
    Kruger, whose Quentin Tarantino-directed film "Inglourious Basterds" had its world premiere at the festival in 2010, said women have a unique eye on the world.
    "Women have a different point of view, they have a different cause, different raison d'etre (English: reason for existence), and we want to be heard, yet I think hopefully they will encourage women to want to make a movie and hopefully it shouldn't matter if you're a man or a woman," she told Reuters Television.
    Kruger, has been seeing two films daily in the main competition since the event kicked off on Wednesday (May 16) with her partner, former "Dawson's Creek" actor Joshua Jackson, but as per festival rules, cannot talk about the movies to anyone other than other jury members.
    "It's a little intimidating because usually I'm on the other side of the spectrum, you're being judged by someone whether it's a critic, a filmmaker or another actor. And at the same time, it's very humbling because all of us put so much of our heart, our love into filmmaking. It's such a delicate process, you never know what someone is going to like and what they're not going to like," she said of the jury process.
    Alec Baldwin has been making the red carpet rounds with fiancé Hilaria Thomas in Cannes to promote "Rise of the Guardians" directed by Peter Ramsey and due out in November.
    The "30 Rock" actor said women have more challenges to their success compared to their male counterparts in Hollywood.
    "I think that for women it's important because the work we do, we all have to get in line, we're all trying to get scripts done. But it's tougher for women," he said.
    Actress Naomi Watts who is set to play Britain's beloved late Princess Diana in an upcoming film, admitted to pre-filming jitters.
    "I haven't really, sort of dealt with it yet but it's definitely rising. And it's very scary, a big undertaking," she said.
    Actress Jessica Chastain paid homage to British director Andrea Arnold, who's won the Jury Prize twice for films at the festival as a role model for young girl directors.
    "I think you know, jury member Andrea Arnold, she is a very influential women in film to me, her movie 'Fish Tank' is one of the best things I've ever seen and to have her on the jury this year in Cannes, I think is an inspiration to little girls that want to grow up and want to be filmmakers."
    Chastain made her Cannes debut last year with Terrence Malick's Palme d'Or winning "Tree of Life". She has also been nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for supporting actress for "The Help".
    "It's like a book end to the year I've had because it kind of began in Cannes last year, walking down the red carpet for 'Tree of Life' premiere, holding hands with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. It was an introduction of sorts and to now be here one year later with my six films coming out, my wonderful award nominations and the people I've got to meet, it's like… I'm always surprised the amazing things I get to do."
    "The Descendants" star Shailene Woodley herself was lauded and received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as George Clooney's rebellious daughter in the film.
    She says while she has been offered parts since playing alongside one of Hollywood's biggest names, she's being selective of what she does next.
    "For me, regardless of what opportunities are coming in, I'm very conscious of what I do. I don't want to do something just to do it, I want to do something because I'm in love with it and I'm very passionate about it and I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon."
    Ben Stiller was one of the last to arrive to the party and tried to sneak behind reporters to make his way into the party.
    When asked whether he was trying to hog all the attention on what he called "the brick carpet", Stiller replied: "No I just wanted to see what you looked like from behind, you are all looking very trim and good and wonderful. It's a Calvin Klein party so you want to see what everyone is looking like from the backside."
    The event celebrated directors, actresses and producers who have made an impact on independent film.
    Cannes Film Festival organisers have defended their decision not to include a single female director in its main competition lineup after four were selected in 2011, saying it would not impose a "quota policy".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register