When I saw that headline the other day, I was actually taken aback. I am all for glamour, especially on the red carpet but is this not an outdated concept and dare I say it gender discrimination? Also, more importantly, rather than focusing on said dress code should we not be focusing on the amazing work of the actresses (and actors) at the Cannes Film Festival instead.
Among those voicing their concerns was actress Emily Blunt.
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When asked if there was a ban on flat shoes on the red carpet, a spokesperson for Cannes Film Festival told Mirror Online, "Regarding the dress code for the red carpet screenings, rules have not changed throughout the years - Tuxedo, formal dress for Gala screenings - and there is no specific mention about the height of the women’s heels as well as for men’s. Thus, in order to make sure that this rule is respected, the Festival’s hosts and hostesses were reminded of it." ... Yet whether there is a written or unwritten rule, there is evidence to show that women are being told they should wear heels.
A group of women in their 50s were turned away from the gala screening of the film Carol for allegedly not wearing high-heeled shoes, according to industry newspaper Screen Daily. The women, some of whom had medical conditions, were apparently barred entry for wearing rhinestone flats.
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Valeria Richter, a film producer and scriptwriter who has been coming to Cannes since 1998, was rebuked on the red carpet with a group of friends for Gus Van Sant's Sea of Trees premiere last week, for wearing flat shoes despite amputation.
She told The Telegraph she had been stopped four times by festival officials over her footwear, which was chosen to support her after she lost a big toe and part of her left foot two years ago.
She added a colleague of hers had metal in her foot and cannot wear heels, while another was wearing sandals with a small heel and was compelled to change.
"It is ridiculous," she added. "We are all working women who walk up and down the streets of Cannes all day doing business. They cannot force us to wear heels.
"We put on the dress and make an effort to be formal and festive, but to demand heels is not right."
For all this fuss there is a deeper message here perhaps. The message about women not being treated as equals in the film industry. The majority of women in lead roles are still paid less than their male counterparts in films and women appear to be still underrepresented in writing and directing roles. An example of this is in the film American Hustle where Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams were paid less than their male counterparts. When you think Jennifer Lawrence is a bankable star with a billion dollar franchise as the lead role in The Hunger Games films, you wonder how this can happen.
The American Civil Liberties Union want the inequality of gender in Hollywood hiring practices to be investigated further and I totally agree with them. So Hollywood, wise up! Women as well as men can carry a film, can act, can write and direct and can put bums on seats, and to the organisers of the Cannes Film Festival - move with the times, flat shoes or sandals can look glam too ...
Tell me, what do think about this issue?
Tell me, what do think about this issue?
