Lonely woman director in Venice sees industry backsliding on gender

At the Venice Film Festival, Danish director May El-Toukhy expressed concern that progress in addressing gender inequality in the film industry since the 2017 #MeToo movement may be reversing. El-Toukhy, the only female filmmaker among a 20-strong field vying for top competition, noted that the situation seemed to be regressing.

The film she directed, Woman Unknown, follows a bride-to-be who must conceal a wartime secret involving a Nazi relationship during World War II. The story explores themes of objectification and invisibility faced by women. El-Toukhy accused the Venice festival selection process of overlooking female representation, as the initial 20 films predominantly featured men.

She also discussed the challenges she faced in financing her films, highlighting that her male peers had an easier time securing funding. El-Toukhy sees this underrepresentation of women in the industry as a structural issue. Other industry figures, such as American star Maggie Gyllenhaal, who heads the competition jury this year, have echoed similar concerns.

Gyllenhaal pointed out that women may encounter difficulties getting their films financed and questioned whether the subjects they choose to explore resonate with audiences as "high art." Italian actress Jasmine Trinca, who attended the festival, expressed her alarm and anger at the lack of female representation at the top of the industry.

She emphasized the need for introspection and confrontation with the issue. A study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative revealed that 2025 was a "Great Recession" for women directors in the US, with only nine women attached to the top-grossing 100 films at the box office and just three women winning an Oscar for Best Director.