French equality minister Marlene Schiappa on Friday announced that Cannes, of the biggest film festivals in the world, will have an anti-sexual harassment hotline for victims to call and complain. The initiative has been taken because one of the rapes by Harvey Weinstein has reportedly happened at the French film festival.
Disgraced American producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of attacking four actresses earlier at Cannes, before the #MeToo movement started. Equality minister Schiappa said that the government tied up with Cannes film festival so that actresses could report aggressors while also warning movers and shakers about individuals harassing women at the event.
One of Weinstein’s victims at the event was Italian actress Asia Arganto when she was 21, at his luxury suite while at Cannes. Measures are being taken not just for the event but also for women in the film industry so that they can feel safer.
Interestingly, the Cannes has for the first time appointed a woman, in the form of Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett, to head the jury at the festival. The change is a welcome as they have faced a lot of criticism in the past for being sexist to women on the red carpet. Coincidentally, Cannes 2018 has only three female directors among 18 who have been shortlisted for the main competition.