Social Media got hyper when women wearing flat-soles were turned away from the premier of Carol by The Cannes Film Festival’s organizers on Sunday night. According to Screen, a number of women in their 50s were denied access to the showing of Todd Haynes’ Carol on Sunday night. It claimed the women were wearing rhinestone flats at the time – and said that the subject matter of the film itself – a lesbian romance starring Cate Blanchett about fighting against societal norms – added to the outrage of those turned away.
The Cannes Film Festival’s organisers have defended turning women away from red-carpet film screenings if they weren’t wearing high heels. A spokesperson for Cannes said: “Regarding the dress code for the 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.”
Vicci Ho, a Cannes regular and former festival programmer, wrote on Twitter that she was “almost turned away” for wearing leather flats, despite doing so because she was suffering ankle problems. She later wrote on the site that the enforcement of the dress code had been “ridiculous this year”. These were some of the Tweets on Cannes’ ludicrous ‘dress-code’:
#Cannes2015 Not Highlight – Both our head of sales and junior turned away at Carol premiere for lack of sass in shoes @muirkate
4:00 PM – 19 May 2015 · France, France
And some for wearing pans!Or told that their dress was “too ugly”. To depend on security men subjectivity is Scary!! https://twitter.com/screendaily/status/600576138386251776 …
@Yishabelle @Screendaily I almost got turned away for wearing fine leather oxfords, wasn’t in heels bc of ankle problems. Argued way in.
Why the hell did they hold a talk on ‘Gender equality in Cinema’ when they believe in such antique sexist norms???
Absolutely blatant sexism! This is seriously shocking. And high heels ARE incredibly painful to wear. Perhaps the organizers should be sent a free copy of Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth. Wow. I’m still stunned by how Cannes could adopt such a sexist dress code!
Jack i have known a lot of french people and they are ridiculously conservative. They strictly enforce what women and men have wear and act in social situation. The french are obsessed with high heels and gowns for women for long time. The conservative french looks down upon a women who wears pants and wears flats and flip-flops. For them such women are not deemed to be a lady. Cannes film festival is a traditional french festival where rules for dress code are too strictly enforced.
Yes and the french mindset needs to change with time and such sexism has no place in today’s society.