Director Greta Gerwig addressed the #MeToo movement growing in France at a press conference on the opening day of the Cannes Film Festival. According to a report by Variety, she stated that she saw ‘substantiative change’ after the #MeToo movement in the American film community.

‘It’s important we expand the conversation’

The director of Barbie was quoted as saying, “I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good. I have seen substantive change in in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.”

The French collective Sous les écrans la dèche has also called for a strike to protest against pending changes in labor policies. When asked about the change of unrest at the festival, with protectionists to drivers and caterers being a part of the organisation, she said, “I certainly support labor movements and we’ve certainly gone through this just now with our unions. I hope that the festival workers can form an agreement that is good for them and supports them and supports the festival.”

Greta at Cannes

Greta is serving as the president of this year’s competition jury, which will be awarding the Palme d’Or at the end of the festival. Joining her on the jury are Spanish filmmaker JA Bayona, Turkish actor and screenwriter Ebru Ceylan, Italian actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, actor Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon fame, French actor Eva Green, Japanese filmmaker and producer Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lebanese actor and filmmaker Nadine Labaki and French actor Omar Sy.

Quentin Dupieux's The Second Act serves as the opening night film this year at the Cannes Film Festival, where Meryl Streep will receive an honorary Palme d'Or.

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