Cate Blanchett is not content with the status quo. After a successful season of Tar, the Volpi Cup and a near-win of her third Oscar, she is pushing the boundaries even further. At the Cannes Festival she brought her film The New Boy and at the Kering Women in Motion talk she discussed her goals. The 54-year-old Australian has four other projects as an actress, but she is now increasingly focusing on the production side of things, having founded her own production house called Dirty Film. It’s not related to adult films, it’s a tribute to the sometimes dusty, but to be treasured, film reels. She is well established in Hollywood, so why divert her energy elsewhere from acting? “I enjoy collaborative processes: when you bring together different minds you get lots of innovative ideas. I have always been drawn to the world behind the scenes, from the conception of a project to its realization. So it seemed like the logical step for me to take.” A producer is not only responsible for raising funds for the film but also for solving any issues on the set. “Yes, and sometimes it also involves bringing coffee, but I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.” How does she handle the pressure? “So far I’m managing and even if I say I don’t want to be in front of the camera, in the end I usually give in and take on a role. The pressure is the same, only as a producer I’m a bit more authoritarian.” What kind of projects is she looking for? “The choice is eclectic and we never discard any concept: you never know where it can lead.” What didn’t she like about the last projects she didn’t produce? “The biggest frustration is the lack of time given to a project. I also detest the way things are often homogenized, offering only one perspective, regardless of gender, ethnicity or age. ” What does she do differently? “For example, I make sure that at the same audition there is always a woman and a person of color. And I’ll keep doing it until this is no longer an issue and we can see a true representation. I often come to the set and I’m the only woman, surrounded by 62 men, an outrageous disproportion that I have to laugh off. I have a sense of humor, but it’s time for a change. ” She has said it many times. Is she scared of being judged? “No, because this discourse must be kept alive until we have achieved a different, inclusive result with true representation. For instance, the media have always been pushing the idea that women by nature are rivals and can’t work together. That’s not true. ” What characters does she like to play and watch? “First of all we need to get rid of the cliché of the “girl of” when it comes to female roles. As for male roles, I confess to loving all George Clooney’s films, who doesn’t? ” Is she planning to move on to directing? “I’m pretty slow as an actress, I can’t even imagine what I would do as a director!”
Cate Blanchett is determined to push boundaries. After a successful season of Tar, the Volpi Cup and a near-win of her third Oscar, she is striving for more. At the Cannes Festival she presented The New Boy and at the Kering Women in Motion talk she discussed her objectives. The 54-year-old Australian has four other projects as an actress, but she is now increasingly focusing on her production house, Dirty Film. It’s not related to adult films, it’s a tribute to the sometimes dusty, but to be treasured, film reels. She has an impressive career in Hollywood, but why divert her energy elsewhere from acting? “I enjoy collaborative processes: when different minds come together you get lots of innovative ideas. I have always been drawn to the world behind the scenes, from the conception of a project to its realization. So it seemed like the logical step for me to take.” As a producer, she not only has to raise funds for the film but also solve any issues on the set. “Yes, and sometimes it also involves bringing coffee, but I don’t mind getting my hands dirty.” How does she handle the pressure? “So far I’m managing and even if I say I don’t want to be in front of the camera, in the end I usually give in and take on a role. The pressure is the same, only as a producer I’m a bit more authoritarian.” What kind of projects is she looking for? “The choice is eclectic and we never discard any concept: you never know where it can lead. I make sure that at the same audition there is always a woman and a person of color. And I’ll keep doing it until this is no longer an issue and we can see true representation. I often come to the set and I’m the only woman, surrounded by 62 men, an outrageous disproportion that I have to laugh off. I have a sense of humor, but it’s time for a change. ” Does she worry about being judged? “No, because this discourse must be kept alive until we have achieved a different, inclusive result with true representation. For instance, the media have always been pushing the idea that women by nature are rivals and can’t work together. That’s not true. ” What characters does she like to play and watch? “First of all we need to get rid of the cliché of the “girl of” when it comes to female roles. As for male roles, I confess to loving all George Clooney’s films, who doesn’t? ” Is she planning to move on to directing? “I’m pretty slow as an actress, I can’t even imagine what I would do as a director!” The pressure of producing projects such as Dirty Film is immense, but Cate Blanchett is determined to make a difference.
