Alice Diop and Rebecca Zlotowski, winners of the Cléopâtre prize, created in reaction to the very masculine selection of the Césars

“I suggest we stop the Caesars and ride the Cleopatras“, launches the deputy EELV Marie-Charlotte Garin last January, when she discovers that no woman is named in the Best achievement category of the famous prize in honor of the sculptor César. A simple joke at the start that the editorial staff of chat took it at its word in order to “spotlight female directors unfairly snubbed this year“.

Thursday, February 23, “the Cleopatras” then awarded two prizes: the public prize after the online vote of around 1,000 readers and the magazine’s editorial prize. A press release issued by chat reveals that the two winners are Alice Diop, audience award, for her film Saint Omer (Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival 2022), and Rebecca Zlotowski, editorial award, for Other people’s children (selected at the same Mostra). They competed with director Alice Winocour (See Paris again), Patricia Mazuy (Bowling Saturn), Blandine Lenoir (Anne Anger) and Charlotte Le Bon (Falcon Lake).

Women directors often absent from the awards

The prize, which wishes to honor the work of women, is nevertheless not intended to last. There is also the Alice Guy Prize, which since 2018 has rewarded the director of the year. The writing of chat hope, however, that his “political and humorous approach is heard by the Académie des César. And if not, see you next year for the second edition of Cleopatra“, she warns.

It is true that few female directors are honored by the Académie des César. Tonie Marshall remains the only one in the history of French cinema to have been crowned best director in 2000 for her film Venus beauty institute. This year, in the Best Film category, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi is the only director nominated for The Almond Trees. “Last year, the Academy of Oscars was criticized for having too white a competition. This year, too masculine. The Césars of 2023 combine this double invisibilization“, deplores the collective 50/50, in the fight for more diversity. The Cesar ceremony is held on Friday February 24.