{
  "id": 5099816,
  "title": "Venice's Gyllenhaal says women directors face 'systemic' barriers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/venices-gyllenhaal-says-women-directors-face-systemic-barriers",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-02T14:13:38.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40437599/venices-gyllenhaal-says-women-directors-face-systemic-barriers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Venice Film Festival jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal argued on the festival's opening day that women directors continue to face systemic barriers in the film industry. Gyllenhaal, who began her career as an actor before becoming a director with \"The Lost Daughter\" in 2021, said cinema holds inherent political value and that female filmmakers often struggle to secure financing because their stories are not deemed important. She questioned why the stories women want to tell are frequently overlooked. Only two of the 21 films in the festival's main program, which runs from September 2-12, are directed or co-directed by women. Despite criticism from festival president Alberto Barbera over the lineup's lack of diversity, Gyllenhaal insisted that films can never be separated from politics and that movies should honestly depict people's lives, including those of \"the most corrupt, the most perverse people,\" as they can foster empathy and prompt reflection on darker aspects of humanity.",
  "summary": "VENICE: Venice Film Festival jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal said on Wednesday that cinema was inherently political and that women continue to face systemic obstacles in the film industry, questioning who gets to decide which stories matter. Speaking on the festival’s opening day, Gyllenhaal said films foster empathy at a time of global turmoil and argued that female filmmakers often struggle to…",
  "key_points": [
    "Women directors face systemic barriers in film industry, says Maggie Gyllenhaal",
    "Only two of 21 films in Venice festival main program directed by women",
    "Gyllenhaal emphasizes films' political value and need for diverse representation"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}