Jessica Chastain calls out "disturbing" representation of women in Cannes film selection

The actress – who was last seen in Miss Sloane as a formidable, high-flying political lobbyist – was a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival, and following the awards ceremony Chastain told reporters at a press conference: “This is the first time I watched 20 films in 10 days, and what I really took away from this experience is how the world views women… It was quite disturbing to me, to be honest.”

Chastain’s comments came after Sofia Coppola made history as the second woman ever to win Best Director at the festival. Coppola was honoured for her work directing The Beguiled, starring Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst.

Sign up for our newsletter

Get the latest TV and entertainment news in your inbox every day.
subscribe
By signing up you are agreeing to RadioTimes.com's terms and conditions. You can opt out at any time.

“I do believe that if you have female storytelling, you also have more authentic female characters,” Chastain said.

She called for the festival to include more female filmmakers so the jury can watch women “that I recognise in my day to day life. Ones that are proactive, have their own agency and don’t just react to the men around them, they have their own point of view".