Yahoo Lifestyle Women Turned Away At Cannes Film Festival For Wearing Flats
Cannes Red Carpet featuring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Photo: Getty.
Female guests and attendees have been denied access to the Cannes Film Festival for not wearing heels to red carpet screenings.
A handful on women in their fifties (including some with medical conditions) were turned away from the Cate Blanchett film Carol on Sunday after being told the height of their rhinestone flats didn’t suffice.
In the wake, others have vented on Twitter that they received similar treatment. Asif Kapadia – whose Amy Winehouse documentary screened during the festival – said his wife was similarly questioned over her footwear, but eventually let in.
Likewise, Cannes regular Vicci Ho tweeted that, “I almost got turned away for wearing fine leather oxfords, wasn't in heels [because] of ankle problems. Argued way in.”
A spokesperson for Cannes defended the controversy, saying “Regarding the dress code for red carpet screenings, rules have not changed throughout the years.”
“There is no specific mention about the height of the women’s heels as well as for men’s. Thus, in order to make sure that this rule is respected, the Festival’s hosts and hostesses were reminded of it.”
The Cannes Film Festival has been criticised in recent years for the gender imbalance between male and female directors. Ironically, it has been reported by The Guardian that Carol – the film in which the women were denied entry – has possibly the strongest feminist messaging of the competition.
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