Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek is undoubtedly as strong a person in real life as she is on the screen. Known to defy the rules while playing a character in cinema, she is equally bold when it comes to speaking her mind. This was the verdict given by the onlookers who watched her at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival.
She spoke on how women are not given their due credit in front or behind the camera. The Hollywood studios, she said, do not want to look beyond the standard format of films. The film Tales of Tale, starring Salma, premiered in Cannes.
Selfies were banned at the Cannes' red carpet this year, but, Salma ensured that the new found craze for selfie continued at the press conferences. It wasn't banned there, after all. Salma was spotted clicking a memorable selfie with a group of journalists and media photographers.
She minced no words while talking at a session on 'Women in Motion', where she highlighted gender disparity in Hollywood.
A champion for woman causes, Salma highlighted that the Hollywood studios tend to overlook the box office prowess of women candidates. She pointed at relatively less number of films directed by women that made their way in 2014.
It cannot be denied that half the audiences consist of females, but it is not considered by the producers while making the films.
Salma also pointed at Hollywood's fixation for chick flicks and romantic comedies while the truth is that audiences are much smarter than that, she said.
It came as a surprise for the audience when Salma also diverted the discussion to the fact that male leading actor have contractual power over their female co-stars. They (male actors) can call for script changes to make the female characters appear dormant on screen.
Citing an anecdote on the existing sexism in Hollywood, she spoke of a studio executive who objected to her Mexican accent. Strengthening the stereotype, the studio expressed how it reminded them of their maids.
The other participants who gave their opinion on gender inequality in Hollywood were Parker Posey, who would appear in Irrational Man and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who will be seen Indian film Jazbaa. Producers Christine Vachon and Elizabeth Karlsen also joined them in the discussion.
