A group of leading black and mixed-race female actors staged a red-carpet protest against racism in French film at Cannes on Wednesday.
At the protest led by French actress Assia Maiga, the group was promoting their book Noire N’est Pas Mon Métier (Black Is Not My Job) criticising the prejudice they have suffered from directors and casting agents in the French movie industry.
"It's a historic moment. It was beyond my wildest dreams. For 20 years, I've been acting, and I've never felt like this," said Maiga in a statement.
Apart from Maiga, the protesters included Beausson-Diagne, Mata Gabin, Maimouna Gueye, Eye Haidara, Rachel Khan, Sara Martins, Marie-Philomene Nga, Sabine Pakora, Firmine Richard, Sonia Rolland, Magaajyia Silberfeld, Shirley Souagnon, Assa Sylla, Karidja Toure, and France Zobda.
The 42-year-old Bamako star also stressed the importance of using Cannes as a platform to change the structures in society as well as the French movie industry. "For me, the most important thing is that this collective of 16 women will become a movement," she added.
On Saturday, 82 women including director Ava DuVernay and actress Cate Blanchett had linked arms and stood together on the red carpet to protest gender inequality in the film industry.