美国国家公共电台 NPR 82 Women Walk Cannes Red Carpet In Protest

 

LAKSHMI SINGH, HOST:

We'd like to introduce you to the number 82, an especially significant number at this year's Cannes Film Festival because 82 is the number of female directors who've been selected to compete at Cannes - 82 compared with more than 1600 male directors selected since Cannes started in 1946.

So yesterday, 82 women from the film industry walked the red carpet in solidarity¹ to make a statement about gender² inequality in their respective fields. The demonstration³ featured speeches and appearances by Hollywood stars, including Kristen Stewart, Cate Blanchett and Salma Hayek.

Melissa Silverstein was also among the demonstrators. She's the founder⁴ of the initiative Women and Hollywood, a website and blog that advocates for gender diversity in the global film industry. Melissa joins us here today. and Melissa, thank you for joining us.

MELISSA SILVERSTEIN: Happy to be here.

SINGH: So describe the scene yesterday on the red carpet. What was it like, Melissa?

SILVERSTEIN: It was one of those moments that's kind of surreal that when you're in it, you don't realize how monumental it is. And then, you know, a couple of hours later, you're like, wow, that was just amazing. And it's really historical for the Cannes Film Festival because it has had such a problem with dealing⁵ with women and gender. And so for them to stand up with the French women of the 50/50 by 2020 coalition⁶ and to say we are going to make a statement here that we are going to be better in the future is quite meaningful.

SINGH: Why do this at the Cannes Film Festival? It seems it's a much more systematic⁷ problem, as you know, about who is making movies, who gets financed, which movies are approved. I mean, it's much broader than Cannes Film Festival. Why was staging this demonstration, this expression of solidarity so important to do at Cannes at this time?

SILVERSTEIN: Well, from my understanding, Cannes has the worst numbers. And so what the French women wanted to do - and all of us wanted to do and have been doing for many years - is to say that this is unacceptable, and we are holding you accountable, and you need to figure out a way to have more transparency about how you pick the films, that we will no longer accept this false narrative⁸ that there are not enough women at the top of the business to compete against the men.

SINGH: Tell me about some of the demands that this group was making. What are some of the immediate⁹ steps that can be taken, you believe, in this industry?

SILVERSTEIN: I think the first thing is you hire women. The studies have shown that once you have women in positions of power and leadership, firstly, the stories change. There are more women in the stories. And also, the people working behind the scenes changes. So when you add women - you add inclusion and diversity - it's just the way that women operate in the world, having been kind of marginalized for so many years. And really, one of the biggest issues is the access to opportunity for women of color.

SINGH: That was Melissa Silverstein, founder of the initiative Women and Hollywood. She joins us from Cannes Film Festival.

Melissa, thank you so much for spending time with us.

SILVERSTEIN: Thanks, Lakshmi.

1 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

2 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

8 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。