Women across the world face same barriers in different ways: Rohena Gera

Filmmaker Rohena Gera, who was among the 82 women who protested against gender gap at the 71st Cannes Film Festival, says it was a very moving experience to express solidarity against the "barriers" that women face across the world in different ways.

Gera's "Sir", which has been selected for Critic's Week, a sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival, will be showcased on May 14, 15 and 16 here.

She walked the red carpet here along with 81 women from all the professions of the industry in protest against gender gap. The intention of the protest was to express how hard it still is to climb the social and professional ladder as a woman in the film industry.

Since the launch of the Cannes Film Festival, only 82 films directed by women have been honoured by an official selection in competition, compared to 1,645 films directed by men, a ratio of less than five per cent.

On the experience, Gera said in a statement: " It was a very moving experience to hold hands and walk with 81 women from around the world on the red carpet... to climb the stairs but only half way, and to hear Cate Blanchett and Agnes Varda point out the glaring inequalities which are so clear when you look at numbers: 82 women vs 1600+ men.

"Later, I got to talk to others and hear about their experiences, their journeys and it was really wonderful to experience their support and solidarity. What's important is that the 82 of us who stood there stood in solidarity with women from all professions, all countries. Because we all face the same barriers in different ways."

The filmmaker's "Sir" features Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber and Geetanjali Kulkarni in lead roles. It tells a love story of a servant and the son of her upper-class employer.

--IANS

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