THE LAB’S ORIGINS
The history of the Lab Femmes de cinéma is linked to the Arcs Film Festival. It is the fruit of a partnership that developed and expanded over five years between the Festival and Sisley, on the place of women, and in particular women directors, in the world of cinema. The creation of the Lab, in 2017, is the culmination of a journey initiated at the Festival des Arcs and which began in 2013, with the creation of the Prix Sisley – Les Arcs “Femme de cinéma”.
THE SISLEY – LES ARCS “FEMME DE CINÉMA” AWARD
Ten years ago, at a time when little was being done on the subject, the Les Arcs Film Festival decided to create an annual award to honor a particularly emblematic female director in European cinema.
The aim of the award was to raise awareness among the media, professionals and the public of the discrimination still suffered by women in the world of cinema, but it is also a simple way of publicizing a director’s work and encouraging the distribution of her films.
THE LAUREATES
The 2022 laureate
Mounia Meddour
Mounia Meddour
.Born in 1978, Mounia Meddour is a Franco-Algerian director. She was awarded the Prix Sisley – Les Arcs “Femme de cinéma” by Philippe d’Ornano, CEO of Sisley, for her second feature film HOURIA.
The 2021 laureate
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović
Born in 1985, Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović is a Croatian director. The award was presented to her by Philippe d’Ornano, CEO of Sisley, for her first feature film MURINA, produced by Martin Scorsese and Caméra d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
The 2020 laureate
Agnieszka Holland
Agnieszka Holland
Born in 1948, Agnieszka Holland is a Polish director. Since her debut feature SCREEN TESTS in 1977, she has directed 19 other features, including CHARLATAN which won the 2020 Sisley – Les Arcs “Femme de Cinéma” award.
“Women in cinema, I think we have to fight, the figures are obvious. The figures are 19%, 20%, it’s not 50%.”
The 2019 laureate
Sarah Gavron
Sarah Gavron
Born in 1970, Sarah Gavron has directed four short films and three feature films. Her film SUFFRAGETTES traces the history of the feminist movement in London in 1912, and stars Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter. Her latest film, ROCKS, tells the story of a gang of girls in London today. It was for this film that she won the 2019 “Femme de Cinéma” award.
“We need to talk more about representation and especially that of women in front of and behind the camera and the diversity factor.”
The 2018 laureate
Claire Burger
Claire Burger
Born in 1978, Claire Burger is a French screenwriter and director. She trained at the Fémis in editing, before directing her first short film FORBACH. In 2010 she won the César for best short film with C’EST GRATUIT POUR LES FILLES, co-directed with Marie Amachoukeli. She won the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 for (co-directed) PARTY GIRL. In 2018 she received the Femme de Cinéma award for her feature film REAL LOVE.
The 2017 laureate
Iram Haq
Iram Haq
Born in 1976, Pakistani-born Norwegian director Iram Haq wins the Femme de Cinéma award for her second feature film, WHAT WILL PEOPLE SAY.
The 2015 laureate
Małgorzata Szumowska
Małgorzata Szumowska
Born in 1973 in Krakow, Małgorzata Szumowska is a Polish director, screenwriter and producer. In 2015 she received the Femme de Cinéma award for her feature film BODY. The film was also awarded the Silver Bear for Best Direction at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.
The 2014 laureate
Lucie Borleteau
Lucie Borleteau
Born in 1980, Lucie Borleteau is a French director, screenwriter and actress. She studied at Ciné-Sup and directed three medium-length films. In 2014, FIDELIO: ALICE’S JOURNEY was her first feature film, for which she received the Prix Femme de Cinéma. In 2019 she releases the drama PERFECT NANNY an adaptation of the novel by Leïla Slimani.
The 2013 laureate
Jasmila Žbanić
Jasmila Žbanić
Born in Sarajevo in 1974, Jasmila Žbanić is a Bosnian director. In 2013 she released FOR THOSE WHO CAN TELL NO TALES. She is the first winner of the Sisley – Les Arcs “Femme de cinéma” award.
Every year, the Arcs Film Festival puts on a “focus” to highlight the cinema of one European country. In 2016, the Festival decided to make a special focus on the place of the new generation of women directors in Europe. This program was built around 4 axes:
- 10 talented emerging European women directors came to present and discuss one of their films;
- Publication of a study on the place of women directors in Europe. This study, initially carried out by Les Arcs, has been updated annually by the Lab Femmes de Cinéma since 2017;
- Two round-table discussions on the place of women in cinema.
- And last but not least, “think tank cafés” were organized every morning of the Festival, bringing together professionals from all over Europe working in the entire cinema chain. Each morning, the ritual was the same, the process set: not to act as if we were taking part in yet another round table on the subject, but to listen to each other and work together to come up with ideas for action to get things moving. With two distinct times, a time for sharing experiences, then a time to shake up the ideas box. The pleasure of the participants was so obvious, and the importance of talking about these subjects so obvious, that the Les Arcs team, in partnership with the Fondation Sisley and the association Le Deuxième Regard (now called Collectif 5050) came to the conclusion that we had to dig dipper.
And that’s how the Lab was created!