Jessica Chastain criticized the Cannes Film Festival movies for how they depicted women, citing a lack of gender equality in the film world.
The actress, who was a jury member at Cannes this month, called the portrayal of women at the festival and in films in general "disturbing," while speaking at a press conference on Sunday, according to The International Business Times.
"This is the first time I’ve watched 20 films in 10 days and I love movies, and the one thing I really took away from this experience is how the world views women from the female characters that were represented," Chastain said, according to The Wrap. "It was quite disturbing to me, to be honest – with some exceptions."
"For the most part I was surprised by the representation of female characters on screen in these films, and I do hope that when we include more female storytellers we will have more of the women I recognize in my day to day life, those who are proactive, have their own agency, don’t just react to the men around them, they have their own point of view."
Chastain’s remarks went viral, The International Business Times noted.
Chastain wasn’t alone.
Maren Ade, the director of "Toni Erdmann," said "we are missing a lot of stories they can tell, not just about female characters, but their views on men," according to International Business Times.
"We want to encourage female filmmakers to present more female characters," said Chinese actress and festival juror Fan Bingbing.
Chastain, a Golden Globe winner, most recently appeared in "The Martian" in 2015. She’s also made appearances in "Interstellar" in 2014 and "Zero Dark Thirty" in 2012.
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