Kidman wants more women directors

Australian megastar Nicole Kidman lamented on Sunday the "incredibly low" number of hit films made by women directors, and revealed that she often wakes up at 3.00AM to do her own personal writing, reported AFP.
Despite her efforts backing and mentoring women-led projects, the number of women-made films among the highest-grossing films "is incredibly low", she said as she received a Kering Women In Motion award at the Cannes film festival.
Kidman pledged in 2017 to work with a woman director at least once every 18 months, saying then that there was "such a disparity in terms of the choices".
"You would go, 'OK, could a woman direct this?' There just wasn't a number of names that you could consider," she said.
The Oscar-winning actor confirmed that she had worked with 27 female directors since her pledge eight years ago.
Only seven of the 22 films in the main competition in Cannes this year are directed by women.
But Kidman heaped praise on an early critics' favourite, Mascha Schilinski's The Sound of Falling, a German-language drama about multi-generational trauma among women on a farm.
"To have Sound of Falling heard on the world stage, that's fantastic," she said.
Although she ruled out writing her own script, she did reveal that she frequently wakes up during the night to write.
"It's a very ripe time for things to happen because you're in that slightly removed state from reality," she said.
"I wake up and I'll write something, be it a dream, be it something that's circulating in my mind."
Lawrence talks parenthood
Meanwhile, actors Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence, who star in the Cannes Film Festival competition title Die My Love, reflected on Sunday on the difficulties of the postpartum period and how they brought their own experiences of parenthood to the film, reported AFP.
"There's not really anything like postpartum. It's extremely isolating," Lawrence, who recently gave birth to her second child, told journalists in the French Riviera resort town.
However, "as a mother, it was really hard to separate what I would do as opposed to what she (her character) would do," said Lawrence, who won an Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook in 2013.
Pattinson and Lawrence play a couple, Jackson and Grace, who move to a small Montana town and have a child, which puts increasing pressure on their relationship as Grace, a writer, struggles to deal with her new identity as a mother.
"When dealing with a partner going through postpartum or any kind of mental illness or difficulties, trying to deal with her isolation, figuring out what your role is, is difficult, especially if you don't have the vernacular," Pattinson said.
The film, the latest from Scottish director Lynne Ramsay, known for emotionally intense dramas like We Need To Talk About Kevin, received a nine-minute standing ovation at its premiere on Saturday night and has been well-received by critics.
Pattinson, who gained fame in the Twilight series before both taking on less mainstream titles like The Lighthouse and donning Batman's suit, said becoming a parent himself last year had reinvigorated him.
"In the most unexpected ways, having a baby gives you the biggest trove of energy and inspiration," said Pattinson.
Lawrence, of the Hunger Games series, said that becoming a parent made her realise that she didn't know just how much she could feel - "and my job has a lot to do with emotion".
"I highly recommend having kids if you want to be an actor."
Anderson's A-list army
In addition, US director Wes Anderson brought his latest A-list cast led by Benicio del Toro to the festival, ramping up the star power as the competition reaches the halfway mark.
Anderson's typically whimsical The Phoenician Scheme, which also finds roles for Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Kate Winslet's daughter, Mia Threapleton, is in the running for the top prize at Cannes.
It tells the story of risk-taking and accident-prone European tycoon Zsa-zsa Korda, played by del Toro, a character loosely based on Anderson's Lebanese father-in-law.
"He was a completely different sort of person, but he was an engineer and quite alpha," the director told AFP.
"His relationship with my wife is probably the DNA of the movie. He told her one day, 'I need to tell you about how my business works because I won't live forever.'
But "the way he told her about his business was he opened a closet and started taking out shoeboxes and said, 'This is the project that we are doing in Saudi. This is the project we are doing in Gibraltar," Anderson added.
"She came home and she said, 'This is crazy.' So all of that went in the movie. Sorry," said the maker of such quirky hits as Asteroid City, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Darjeeling Limited.
With Anderson's film always thick with stars, the film's red-carpet premiere was packed with stars, with Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Benedict Cumberbatch and Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro also in town.
Sunday also saw the premiere of Nigeria's first film in an official slot at Cannes.
My Father's Shadow, the debut feature of newcomer Akinola Davies is set during a 1993 coup, a pivotal moment in Nigeria's recent history, when the military annulled the election and General Sani Abacha eventually took power.
"Getting into competition for the first time ever shows that Nigerian cinema has come of age," Prince Baba Agba, a cultural advisor to Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, told AFP.
Culture Minister Hannatu Musawa led the large and stylish Nigerian presence on the red carpet for the premiere.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Express Tribune

19 hours ago

• Express Tribune

Going loco for Labubu

The viral dolls are said to be quirky, ugly, and inclusive. Photo: AFP Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a "cool" China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around $40, are released in limited quantities and sold in "blind boxes", meaning buyers don't know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are "a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate", interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. "Now everything goes viral... because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different." While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. "It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation," the University of Maryland's Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as "lafufus" and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. "It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable," Yang said. TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is "undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners," said Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image "similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo". Video app TikTok — designed by China's ByteDance — paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that "TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China". TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital "refugees". A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can "improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services", CFR's Kurlantzick told AFP. "I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government," he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, the University of Maryland's Yang said. "The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously," she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. "It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it," Kazakhstani mother-of-three Anelya Batalova told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. "In our country, they love Labubu," she said. "So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China."

Express Tribune

a day ago

• Express Tribune

Chris Brown pleads not guilty to London nightclub assault charges

Grammy-winning artist Chris Brown appeared in court in London on Friday, June 20, where he pleaded not guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm stemming from a 2023 nightclub incident. The 36-year-old singer is accused of assaulting music producer Abraham Diaw at the upscale Tape nightclub in Mayfair in what prosecutors have described as an unprovoked attack. Brown is alleged to have struck Diaw multiple times with a tequila bottle before continuing the assault by punching and kicking him. Prosecutors also stated the violent episode was caught on surveillance footage and witnessed by numerous club-goers. Alongside Brown, fellow musician and friend Omololu Akinlolu, known professionally as Hoody Baby, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. Additional charges were added to Brown's indictment ahead of Friday's hearing. These include assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon—in this case, the bottle allegedly used in the attack. However, the court has adjourned Brown's plea on these new charges until July 11. Brown, who performed to a packed stadium in Cardiff just hours before his court appearance, is currently out on bail set at £5 million (approximately $6.75 million). The substantial bail amount enabled him to begin his world tour earlier this month despite the looming legal case. The trial is set to begin on October 26, 2026. Until then, Brown will remain free under bail conditions while continuing to face serious legal scrutiny over the alleged violent incident.

Express Tribune

2 days ago

• Express Tribune

Beyoncé brings out 'best friend' Miley Cyrus for 'II Most Wanted' duet on Cowboy Carter Paris concert

Beyoncé introduced Miley Cyrus as her 'best friend' during the first-ever live performance of their duet 'II Most Wanted' on the Cowboy Carter world tour in Paris. Performing at Stade de France, Beyoncé paused mid-show to welcome Cyrus to the stage with a moving tribute: 'Give it up for the one and only, my best friend. I love you so much, and I'm so grateful to watch and sing with you, Miss Miley Cyrus.' 'Give it up for the one and only, my best friend, I love you and i'm so grateful to watch and sing with you miss Miley Cyrus' Beyoncé introducing Miley 🥹 — ‏۟ (@G0DNEYS) June 19, 2025 The crowd erupted as Cyrus appeared, joining Beyoncé for an emotional rendition of their Grammy-winning moment marked the first guest appearance on the Cowboy Carter tour. The track, originally written by Cyrus over two years ago, found a new life on Beyoncé's 2024 album. Speaking to W magazine, Cyrus explained, 'When Beyoncé reached out to me about music, I thought of it right away because it really encompasses our relationship.' She added, 'We don't have to get country; we are country… so much of us is going to be in this song.' The duet won Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 2025 Grammys and has since become a fan-favourite anthem. Paris marked the halfway point in Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour, which continues across the US through July.