Hollywood star Cate Blanchett said Wednesday that she would be called an actor rather than an actress.
Australian Australia, who is leading the jury at the Venice Film Festival, backed him last week to award only the Best Actor award in support of the Guild Festival’s controversial decision.
“I’ve always identified myself as an actor,” Blanchett said after being asked about the move toward gender-neutral prizes hours before the start of the 10-day COVID-banned Venice Jambury.
“I’m from a place where the word actress was always used in a fun way. So I claim another place,” he told AFP.
If to prove that point, he asked reporters if the Italian word “mastro” is the female equivalent, just can’t be said.
Blanchett is taking the helm at Venice – once criticized by feminists for her “toxic masculinity” of choice – while in a year when the number of female directors tending for the top prize has quadrupled.
“I think a good performance is a good performance regardless of the sexual orientation of who makes it,” he told reporters.
Venice was heavily criticized for choosing only one female filmmaker to compete for the Golden Lion in 2017 and 2018.
– Husband got ‘permission’ –
And there was even more outrage last year when the U.S. filed a lawsuit in 1977 alleging the legal rape of a 13-year-old girl. Wanted Roman Polanski was selected and then won the second prize of the festival for his historical historical drama. “An officer and a spy”.
But festival scar-winner Blanchett told a variety of people that this year was a direct response to the positive progress made by eight women directors.
The 51-year-old Hollywood has become a major player in gender politics since the #MeToo movement was started by the Harvey Weinstein scandal.
She led a red carpet protest for equality by an army of female stars and directors at the rival Cannes Film Festival two years ago.
The “Carol” and “Elizabeth” stars have also been leading supporters of sexual harassment in the industry following the Times Up and # 50/50 movement for gender equality and Weinstein’s notoriety.
“When you have to reward someone who has played a male or female role, the limits of the gender prize are clear. Transgender,” said Claire Dennis, a French director who leads the jury for Venice’s “Horizons” sidebar competition.
– ‘Talking to the chicken’ –
But some experiments are slow to death. Blanchett was asked at one point during a news conference before the opening gala of the festival if she had asked her husband if she could go to Venice in view of the risk of another wave of COVID.
“My husband said I was allowed to say goodbye,” the actor replied easily. “My kids don’t have much.”
He also lashed out at US President Donald Trump for cutting off funding to the BHO, as the epidemic began.
“I find it strange that the World Health Organization is not allowed to lead this global challenge. We are a very strange species that we did not learn from Italy … and other countries that were hit first.
“We behave in a totally awkward and destructive way which is not particularly helpful.”
The star, who spent a lockdown on her farm in the south of England with her family, said it was “very exciting to communicate with adults” and that she was now free.
“I’ve been talking to chickens and pigs for the last few months.”
FG / Her
