Mairi Sutherland Blog: Cannes Film Festival 2017 - The Spectre of fascism is haunting Europe

A spectre is haunting Europe, the Spectre of Fascism. Freedom is a bad word, at the Cannes Film Festival 2017 in France, particularly for women where the body shaming dress code symbolises a return to an age Oppression. This spectre extends more importantly to the work Women do in the film industry, particularly when it comes to directing feature films. The 2017 proudly announced it had 7 women directors in it's selection, but let's see that in perspective. Out of the 60 or more Male directors 7 women were featured. The maths of this tells you that at the Festival, Women directors amounted to less than 10% of the selection. Since female attenders have been banging on at the lack of serious female supervision in films at Cannes Film Festival for 5 years, it maybe that it is now time to request a special section in the festival for Female achievement in film to re dress the balance.

Fascism is a strange thing it pervades peoples minds slowly and creeps darkly into the manners in which people compete with each other. Women are less free than they were 30 years ago and Cannes does nothing to promote a free, confident, working women, who have accepted the mantle of emancipation. Instead women there are clothes horses, with hidden bunions on their feet, smiling sweetly like 'Stepford' wives, trailing after male business men who march round in comfortable shoes and black fascist style Tuxedos. Women are failing to speak up about the endless body shaming, which was rife at this year's festival when men openly berated and made fun of women who they said were not thin enough or acting in a way that was not submissive to them. What!

Fascism is a breeding. It is a force lead by men in tuxedos, with flat feet, and beer bellies. It is the men who should be taking a good look at themselves before they utter the fat word. With the exception of a few actors mostly the Festival was awash with over weight men, but the tabloids never discuss it or comment about their weight, their clothes or their shoes. So why do men like that think they have the right to have a Size 8 on their arm when they are not slim themselves? Ridiculous. Arise Dear Women and head forward to become film Directors and not just 5% but 50% of the employed working force of the film industry seizing it from these elitist, male, tuxedo, creatures. Not that I should be biting the hand that feeds me. Sure we are all trying when it comes to the weight game. However the trend of body shaming has really gone too far and a person is more than the some of their parts.

Cannes 2017 marked a return to an age of Oppression as if Europe was in the 1930's when Fascism gained ground prior to World war 2. It is up to Women to stop this trend and for men to shut up with their mocking laughs for once.

The Marche Du Film was a different this year with over 12,000 attendees according to Sydney's Blog piece. So there were some good pointers to film distribution with the people that count, mostly the smaller distributors who work hard for the Independent Film Maker and put their best foot forward usually a steady Doc Martin I may add, while they wrestle with the over wrought Studio Execs selling their block busters with the ubiquitous high heeled shoes in tow. Don't women realise in ten years when their bunions develop high heeled shoes will be a thing of the past for them too?
Hail Caesar Hail the High Heeled shoe! Lets keep the Mache Du Film going with Women at the foremost while they train to become good film Directors.

A nod to the sales agents and the work they do to keep us all in a job.

For my fans, I think I have some, here are some photos from Cannes 2017. I go between a size 10 and 12, but I could do with some work on my tummy. But who really cares? It's what you achieve that counts.

If we are to counter extremist ideology of all kinds, drastically changing the way all men from all backgrounds, treat women would be a great start.