The Most Influential Women in International Film
CEO, EbonyLife Media (NIGERIA)
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A longtime perennial on THR's international power lists, Abudu isn't just a media mogul — she's a movement. The British-Nigerian founder of EbonyLife Media has produced everything from local box office hits (The Wedding Party, Òlòtūré) to global deals with Netflix and Sony. In 2024, she launched the $50 million Afro Film Fund and announced EbonyLife Place London, a cultural hub set to open by year's end. 'Stay focused, be authentic and find your own voice,' she advises young women. 'The world doesn't need more copies — it needs what only you can bring.'
Co-founders, Komplizen Film (GERMANY)
The duo behind Berlin's Komplizen Film have been championing auteur cinema for 25 years — with Ade directing the Oscar-nominated Toni Erdmann and Jackowski producing an eclectic slate of German and international indies. Their recent co-productions include Spencer, Corsage and Sentimental Value in Cannes competition. 'Film financing needs reliability,' Jackowski says, citing rising instability around tax incentives and public funds. Still, they're bullish on bold cinema. 'Anora and Emilia Pérez show that risk-taking storytelling can still connect with broad audiences.'
Funke Akindele Network (NIGERIA)
Actor, writer, director, producer — Akindele does pretty much everything. Her 2024 Nigerian box office smash, Everybody Loves Jenifa (the third film in the hit comedy franchise), was yet another showcase for her all-in creative approach. Her production outfit, Funke Akindele Network (FAAN), champions homegrown Nigerian stories and control over how they're told. 'It's about owning and empowering our narrative,' she says. And judging by her string of local blockbusters, audiences love how she tells it.
Head of Fiction, Cottonwood Media (U.K.)
Paris-based but with a sharp eye on the U.K. scene, Ardisson is quietly building a mini empire of indie cred. She produced Francis Lee's God's Own Country and the feminist doc Witches, co-founded the female-driven Ardimages U.K. and, in 2024, struck gold with Kneecap, the Irish rap biopic that turned director Rich Peppiatt into the most nominated debut filmmaker in BAFTA history.
Co-owner, Eon Productions (U.K.)
No introduction needed — Broccoli is half of the creative force behind one of the most successful franchises in filmmaking history (the other being her half-brother Michael Wilson). Sure, she just sold Bond to Amazon for a reported billion dollars, but she clearly has filmmaking interests that don't involve shaken martinis and Aston Martins with pop-off tops. Broccoli's Eon Productions also recently produced Till and The Accidental Getaway Driver, among other projects. All eyes are now on Bond's new Amazonian masters, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, who definitely have a tough act to follow.
Founder, Heimatfilm (GERMANY)
The veteran German producer long has championed provocative auteur-driven cinema through her Cologne-based Heimatfilm. 'Maintaining artistic diversity and freedom in an increasingly algorithm-driven market is the biggest challenge facing independents,' Brokemper says. 'There's a real danger that stories which don't fit neatly into global streaming models get overlooked, even though they're often the ones that need to be told the most.' Her credits include Lars von Trier's Antichrist, Margarethe von Trotta's Hannah Arendt and the upcoming LGBTQ+ period drama Scotch Verdict, starring Flora Nicholson and Fiona Shaw. Her advice for young female filmmakers: 'Take space, speak up and surround yourself with people who value your perspective.'
CEO, Conspiração Filmes (BRAZIL)
Brandão has her fingerprints on some of her country's buzziest recent content. She's helped shepherd Netflix hits like Sintonia and DNA Do Crime, as well as Vale o Escrito for Globoplay. Her strategy blends local flavor with international potential, and she's vocal about Brazil's growing influence in global storytelling. 'Audiences are hungry for stories that reflect their reality,' she says.
Co-founders, Causeway Films (AUSTRALIA)
Through their banner Causeway Films, Ceyton and Jennings have helped put Australian horror back on the global map. After breaking out with The Babadook and The Nightingale, they scored again with Talk to Me, A24's 2023 supernatural hit. More buzzy titles are on the way: Bring Her Back, starring Sally Hawkins, and Went Up the Hill, with Vicky Krieps and Dacre Montgomery. Whether it's unsettling genre fare or awards-bound indies, this producing duo has quietly become one of Australia's most formidable exports.
CEO, Inicia Films (SPAIN)
Delpierre has carved out a niche spotlighting emerging female voices and overlooked linguistic communities. Her recent standouts include Klaudia Reynicke's Swiss Oscar contender Reinas and Pilar Palomero's Glimmers. 'With so much content flooding the market, the challenge is reaching audiences in meaningful ways,' she says. Poor Things is the movie that she wishes she'd produced — a 'bold, singular visual universe,' she calls it. Her advice for women breaking in: 'Trust yourself — but constantly question your work to improve it.'
President, Jio Studios (INDIA)
A veteran of India's media industry, Deshpande has turned Jio Studios into a content colossus, backing more than 150 films and series in multiple languages. In 2023, Jio delivered nearly half of India's Hindi box office and more than 100 awards — including best film honors at the Bollywood Oscars for Laapataa Ladies. Her proudest moment? Watching three young actresses launched by her studio win major accolades. 'Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel won accolades for Laapataa Ladies and Janki Bodiwala won for her performance in Shaitaan.' A onetime Viacom18 CEO, Deshpande says the biggest challenge today is 'stagnant market size' — and the rising cost of content creation. Her advice: 'Believe in your talent, be outcome-oriented and remember, biggest isn't always best.'
President, Spin Master Entertainment (CANADA)
Dodge has helped turn Canadian kids brands into global screen franchises — most notably PAW Patrol, now a billion-dollar behemoth spanning TV, toys and theatrical. Dodge also co-created the preschool hit Little Charmers and is overseeing a live-action adaptation of the game Bakugan. 'It became an iterative process between toy designers and animation designers working together,' she's said of bridging play and storytelling. Few execs are more fluent in the language of kids' entertainment — or better at building entire worlds from it.
CEO, Gaumont (FRANCE)
As CEO of the world's oldest film studio, Dumas has to balance history with reinvention. Under her watch, Gaumont expanded globally while doubling down on high-end TV (Narcos, Lupin) and indie features like Night Call and Dalloway. Her proudest moment? Receiving the International Emmy Directorate Award. 'Financing important independent films is our biggest challenge,' she says. Her advice to the next generation: 'Patience — and maintain your passion and determination.'
Producer, Vyjayanthi Movies (SPAIN)
Born into Telugu cinema royalty — and with UCLA film school cred — Dutt is now writing her own script at Vyjayanthi Movies. She co-produced her first feature at age 20 and helped reinvigorate the family banner alongside sister Swapna Dutt with critical and commercial juggernauts like Mahanati and the sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD. She's also pushing into the streaming space, producing the Amazon series Kumari Srimathi.
Founder, Mer Film (NORWAY)
Ekerhovd is one of Scandinavia's most prolific producers. She's behind Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier's latest Cannes contender, and heads a program nurturing the next wave of Nordic filmmakers. Her first big break came producing Sniffer, which won the Palme d'Or for best short. She says the biggest challenge currently facing the international film industry is the 'unpredictable' global situation. 'In times like these, we need art more than ever,' she says, 'and we need to fight to bring it to audiences. I believe in film as a collective art form that we experience together in cinemas.'
Head of U.K. & Northern Europe Originals, Amazon MGM (U.K.)
Since taking over as head of her department in 2023, Erer has built a young audience from the ground up. Her slate spans breakout unscripted series (Molly-Mae, Clarkson's Farm) to buzzy features (My Fault London), and she's behind the £10 million ($13.3 million) Prime Video Pathway to upskill and diversify Britain's production base. Her advice? 'Be open to ideas you never thought of — you never know what you're missing.'
CEO, Carrousel Studios (FRANCE)
With stints at Wild Bunch, Gaumont and Anton Capital, Gaget is no stranger to cross-border deals — she's worked on everything from Olivier Nakache's quadriplegic drama The Intouchables to Gerard Butler's disaster flick Greenland. Now CEO of Carrousel Studios, the new Euro-indie outfit launched by Omar Sy, Louis Leterrier and Thomas Benski, she's aiming to flip the Hollywood production model on its head by giving creatives real IP ownership. Gaget's deep equity ties and market fluency make her one of Europe's most connected film financiers. 'Talent is just the starting point,' she says. 'What really moves the needle is showing up every day, putting in the effort and staying committed even when the spotlight isn't on you.'
Co-founder, Eye Eye Pictures (NORWAY)
After producing Joachim Trier's Oscar-nominated The Worst Person in the World, Graver launched Eye Eye Pictures to focus on daring first-time filmmakers. Her latest releases: Armand, which took the Camera d'Or in Cannes, and A Prayer for the Dying, a Western starring John C. Reilly. She's also co-producing Ruben Östlund's The Entertainment System Is Down. 'Be well prepared and follow your gut,' she advises. 'If problems hit when the foundation is wobbly, it's probably not a journey worth taking.'
Co-president, Film Forge (CANADA)
Harnisch has quietly become one of Canada's most trusted indie producers, with credits including Sleeping Giant, White Lie and Brandon Cronenberg's Infinity Pool. This year, she premiered Shook at TIFF — a 'sexy, funny, poignant warm hug of an indie,' she says. An assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, Harnisch sees the biggest challenge today as the crumbling path to financing. 'You are enough as you are,' she tells young women. 'Find mentors who see that in you.'
Co-founder, Neal Street Productions (U.K.)
The Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winner doesn't just co-run Neal Street Productions with director Sam Mendes — she's helping shape British cinema from the top down. From 1917 to Call the Midwife, she's moved between prestige film and hit TV without breaking stride. Her proudest moment? Landing The Beatles' approval for those four upcoming moptop biopics Mendes will be shooting. 'Start in the world you want to stay in,' she advises. 'Breaking into art house is just as hard as daytime TV — so don't start in the wrong place.'
Producer (IRAN)
Hendijanian helped bring Mohammad Rasoulof's Cannes contender The Seed of the Sacred Fig to the screen — and to an Oscar nomination, 'an incredibly emotional and proud moment' — under near impossible conditions. The film, a blistering political allegory, is the latest in her long collaboration with Rasoulof (Goodbye, A Man of Integrity). 'The journey was long and full of risks,' she recalls. 'It truly felt like a miracle that we completed it.'
Chair, BFI (U.K.)
Before she was shaping global programming at Apple TV+ and chairing the British Film Institute, Hunt was the gatekeeper of British television's golden age. As controller of BBC One, she commissioned Sherlock and Luther, two of Britain's biggest hits of the past two decades. Later, at Channel 4, she greenlit Derry Girls and First Dates and brought Formula 1 to the airwaves. Nowadays, at Apple, she oversees acclaimed titles like Bad Sisters and Slow Horses.
Head of Films, Fabula (CHILE)
As head of Spanish-language features at Chile's Fabula, Jadue has produced some of the region's most acclaimed films, including the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman. Her 2024 slate was just as formidable, with Pablo Larraín's El Conde and Maite Alberdi's The Eternal Memory both earning Academy nods. She also wrapped Chile's first musical — a passion project five years in the making with Sebastián Lelio. 'Learn every part of the process,' she advises, 'and don't rely only on passion — build real knowledge.'
Co-CEO, Wild Bunch (FRANCE)
The Wild Bunch co-CEO has helped steer the French indie giant through pandemic-era turbulence with nimble pan-European maneuvering. Under her watch, the company distributed such festival firepower as The Boy and the Heron and Memoir of a Snail. Undoubtedly like a lot of people on this list, the one film she wishes she'd produced was the best picture winner Anora, which 'feels completely in sync with our DNA — bold, distinctive and emotionally resonant.' The former Canal+ exec sees her job as a balancing act: staying agile while facing 'constant market shifts.'
Co-founder, Red Chillies Entertainment (INDIA)
As co-founder of Red Chillies Entertainment alongside international global superstar Shah Rukh Khan (aka her husband), Gauri Khan helped turn Bollywood fame into a business empire. She has produced major hits like Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express and Happy New Year — all starring her husband — and expanded the banner into VFX, distribution and streaming partnerships with Netflix. Her behind-the-scenes savvy has helped transform Red Chillies into one of India's most globally recognized film companies.
VP Content, APAC (Excluding India), Netflix (SOUTH KOREA)
As Netflix's vp content across Asia (excluding India), Kim is the force behind Squid Game and its record-breaking sequel — plus a booming K-content pipeline that now reaches over 80 percent of Netflix's global audience. 'We're seeing huge demand for local stories with global themes,' she says, pointing to hits like Kill Boksoon and Culinary Class Wars. Kim also is helping build the next generation of talent through training and workshops. Her advice: 'Make choices that make you proud to be you.'
President, Cannes Film Festival (FRANCE)
When Knobloch became the Cannes Film Festival's first female president in 2023, it felt overdue. Her Warner Bros. tenure gave her the chops, and she's since helped Cannes ride a critical and commercial hot streak: Anora won both the Palme d'Or and Oscar, while The Substance netted a rare best director nom for a woman. 'Cinema never retreats,' she says. 'It evolves with its time.' Her one line of advice for women in the business? 'Trust your instinct.'
Co-founder, Le Pacte (FRANCE)
Labadie's distribution company has had a banner year with Sean Baker's Anora, which won both the Palme d'Or and the Oscar for best picture. 'Moving, funny, clever — and unlike anything else,' she says of the film. Her biggest concern at the moment? Cultural protectionism. 'The Trump administration represents a great danger for European independent film,' she warns, citing ongoing tensions around trade and streaming regulation. Her advice to young women in film: Embrace the grind. 'It's a true industry, with real challenges,' she notes. 'But it's also filled with rewards.'
Vice Chairwoman, CJ Entertainment (SOUTH KOREA)
Often called Asia's most powerful media mogul, Lee helped put Korean cinema on the world map — and onto the Oscar stage. As vice chair of CJ ENM, she backed Parasite, invested $100 million in Skydance and bought majority control of Fifth Season. Now she's focused on making theatrical releases feel special again. 'Film thrives on openness,' she says, pushing for global stories told at scale. Her advice: 'Be proactive, build real connections and lift others as you rise.'
Founder, Big Bowl Entertainment (CHINA)
After becoming the highest-grossing female filmmaker in the world with 2021's time-travel comedy Hi, Mom, one of the biggest hits in Chinese cinematic history ($822 million), the comedian turned director did it again in 2024, or at least came close, with her female boxer comedy Yolo ($484.5 million). Her blend of heart and humor, often rooted in personal transformation, has struck a nerve with Chinese audiences and made every Jia release a national event. Not bad for someone who started in xiangsheng, China's version of stand-up.
CEO, StudioCanal (FRANCE)
In 2024, Marsh delivered the company's biggest box office year ever, with Back to Black, We Live in Time and Paddington in Peru (yes, that one made money, especially overseas). Then came the promotion: chief content officer of parent company Canal+ Group. With Canal+ now publicly traded, Marsh is steering a high-stakes expansion push, including investments in MultiChoice (Africa) and Viu (Asia), plus an ambitious genre label, Sixth Dimension. Few execs are playing at her level — or on as many continents.
Head of Local Originals, Southern Europe, Amazon MGM (ITALY)
Amazon's top content exec in Southern Europe, Morganti oversees originals across Italy, France and Spain. Her biggest recent success: Culpa Tuya, the teen romance sequel that became Amazon's most watched international original film ever. Her roots are in unscripted — she helped launch X Factor and MasterChef in Italy — but her current slate includes genre thrillers and action comedies. 'There's always space to learn more and become better,' she says. Her career high point? In 2024, when she watched 6,000 fans at the Palacio Vistalegre Arena cheering for the premiere screening of the second chapter of Amazon's teen romance franchise Culpa Tuya like it was a rock concert.
CEO, Lemming Film (NETHERLANDS)
Petit is a champion of bold, offbeat cinema. Her surreal drama Mr. K, starring Crispin Glover, premiered in Toronto's main competition — a career high for the Dutch producer. 'Too many choices are driven by fear,' she says. 'That makes films feel monotonous and interchangeable.' Petit is pushing for stories that take risks and voices that challenge the norm. Her advice: 'Set ambitious goals and build a network grounded in creative respect. It's not about speed — it's about substance.'
CEO, Extreme Emotions (POLAND)
Puszczynska's name has become synonymous with emotionally harrowing, historically resonant cinema. She produced Ida and The Zone of Interest, both Oscar winners, and A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg's Sundance hit. But her ambitions extend far beyond Holocaust narratives. Her 2024 slate includes the jazz-soaked Köln 75, the genre-bending Minotaur Rex and two debut features from women directors. 'Instead of just talking about gender inequality,' she says, 'we women producers should act.'
Co-CEO, House Productions (U.K.)
Ross had a monster year, with Conclave and Bird scoring BAFTA nominations and The Zone of Interest, which she exec produced, cleaning up at the Oscars. But now that she's sitting on top of the heap, the view has obviously left her contemplative, and she has lots of questions about the future. 'How do we understand the viewing habits of the next generation? How do we understand and use and not abuse AI? How do we ensure that risk-taking work continues? How do we allow a broad set of tastes to thrive in a consolidated world? How does everybody earn enough to work in film, and not some earn hugely while others don't earn at all?'
VP Content, India, Netflix (INDIA)
Shergill has helped redefine Indian streaming, greenlighting hits like Delhi Crime and Amar Singh Chamkila. A former journalist and documentary filmmaker, Shergill says 2024 was 'the year Indian stories truly broke through,' becoming cultural moments far beyond the screen. 'Take Heeramandi, for instance — it's not just a show, it became a visual and cultural moment,' she says. 'It sparked a wave of creativity on social media, fan art and commentary that went far beyond just viewership.' Her advice to young women: 'Trust your voice. Stay curious. Your stories can offer fresh insights.'
Producer, Akaba (FRANCE)
Schermann's proudest moment of 2024? Easy question. That would be watching Cannes audiences erupt for Emilia Pérez, her latest collaboration with Jacques Audiard. 'People were so happy. The film was so beautiful,' she says. A longtime champion of visionary auteurs, Schermann stresses the importance of resilience — especially for women in the industry. 'We have to be twice as strong to be heard, which is tiring. So don't give up.' Her greatest fear? A world where authors are silenced. 'Freedom of expression is the single most important thing.'
CEO, Haut et Court (FRANCE)
From Ma Vie en Rose to The Class to Santosh, Scotta has built Haut et Court into a powerhouse of high-art, high-emotion cinema. She co-founded The Creatives, a pan-European alliance for indies, and recently started production on Sukkwan Island, a decade-in-the-making co-pro. Her mantra: 'Less is more.' Scotta warns of rising threats to Europe's film ecosystem — from Trump-era protectionism to a market obsessed with short-term performance. 'Robustness is the only way to stay sustainable.'
Co-founder of China's Distribution Workshop (HONG KONG/CHINA)
A legend in Chinese cinema, Shi co-founded Film Workshop in 1984 and produced genre-defining classics like A Better Tomorrow and Once Upon a Time in China. She later launched Distribution Workshop to bring Chinese titles to the world. Still active as a producer, Shi received a lifetime achievement award at the 2024 Hong Kong Film Awards.
CEO, Nordisk Film (DENMARK)
Vogelsang had a career high with The Girl With the Needle, which earned Oscar and Cannes buzz in 2024 ('an unforgettable moment'). She began as an intern at Lars von Trier's production company Zentropa ('an unpaid position') before rising through Denmark's public broadcaster DR, where she worked on early hits like Taxa. 'The cinema model is under pressure,' she says. 'We need new ways forward — and compelling storytelling to help us emotionally make sense of the times.' Her advice for young filmmakers: 'Be the voice of your generation — and tell me how I can help make the industry ready for you to take over, because you will!'
CEO, Frakas (BELGIUM)
From intern to CEO of Frakas, Warnauts has had a front-row seat to Belgium's rise in global co-productions. She backed Cannes winner Titane and this year reteams with director Julia Ducournau on Alpha. At Toronto, she produced Bring Them Down with Barry Keoghan. Her proudest moments? Pairing local talents with foreign auteurs and watching the sparks fly. 'Emerging voices — writers, technicians, even 40-year-old actresses overlooked by the system — need to be heard,' she says. 'That's where real diversity starts.'
Head of Production, Working Title (U.K.)
Is Sarah-Jane Wright the hardest-working woman in British film? The evidence is persuasive. In a career that stretches back three decades, the Working Title executive has been quietly instrumental in delivering some of the U.K.'s most iconic modern cinema. Pride & Prejudice, Love Actually, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Les Misérables, Baby Driver — her name is on all of them, even if the spotlight rarely is.
She began, humbly, as a runner at Fugitive Features in 1993. But by 2014, she was overseeing Oscar campaigns for the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything and by 2024 was onstage at Cannes with The Substance, Coralie Fargeat's subversive body-horror thriller.
'I worked very intimately with that film,' she says. 'Coralie is an absolute force of energy, and I was in awe of Demi Moore every day on set.' That film, a surreal and bloody takedown of beauty culture, would go on to win major festival hardware — and introduce a new generation to an underloved genre.
The same year, Wright also helped bring Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy to the screen, the tearjerking swan song for Renée Zellweger's lovably messy singleton. The fourth installment in the franchise — and Wright's fourth Bridget film — grossed more than $130 million globally and scored some of the strongest reviews in the series. 'Renée and I are the same age,' Wright says. 'It's been wonderful to grow up with her.' That kind of long-haul collaboration is one of Wright's defining traits.
She's also navigated big-budget prestige dramas (Darkest Hour), tricky biopics (Mary Queen of Scots), musical crowd-pleasers (Yesterday) and has remained a key figure in Working Title's ongoing evolution under Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Through it all, she's stayed focused on the work. 'Don't be afraid to be ambitious,' she advises young women entering the business. 'Speak up, be prepared to work incredibly hard and never forget that your perspective as a woman is valued and unique.'
For Wright, the future of British film lies in boldness — not just in content but in conviction. Whether it's rebooting a beloved franchise or diving headfirst into genre terrain, she remains committed to storytelling that resonates both locally and globally. 'Every challenge is a catalyst for fresh creativity,' Wright says. 'It's an invitation to collaborate with new talent and reimagine our beloved stories.' — Lily Ford
Director, BBC Film (U.K.)
Yates has very quietly, very Britishly, overseen some of the U.K.'s most exciting recent cinema, from Aftersun to Rye Lane to Santosh, the country's Oscar submission. With two Cannes titles (Urchin, My Father's Shadow) on the horizon, she is building a slate that blends credibility with emotional punch. Her philosophy: 'Set your quality bar high — and hold it.'
CEO, Wanda Film (CHINA)
A powerhouse producer and founder of Beijing-based Heyi Pictures, Chen has backed some of China's most successful mainstream comedies, including Hello Mr. Billionaire and Goodbye Mr. Loser. But she's no genre snob — she also co-produced Lou Ye's Cannes black-and-white espionage drama Saturday Fiction, starring Gong Li. With a sharp eye for both commercial appeal and artistic ambition, Chen is part of a new wave of female producers reshaping the Chinese film industry from within.
This story appeared in the May 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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- Boston Globe
A Napoleon from Long Island meets his Waterloo
'For me, it's not a problem,' Springuel said. 'But the public doesn't expect that from Napoleon,' he said. For the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, the organizers held their biggest reenactment in a decade, with 2,200 actors restaging the battle last weekend before 17,000 spectators. Advertisement Mark Schneider, born on Long Island, New York, secured the job over other would-be Napoleons, including from Belgium and Italy, in part because of his unrivaled ability to command respect on the battlefield, several organizers said. 'Even though it's 200-plus years later, they look to me as their Napoleon, and I look to them as my Grande Armée,' said Schneider, 55. For anyone who had an issue with his American accent, well, 'haters gonna hate,' said Schneider, who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he works as a historian and professional actor. He added that Napoleon himself, born in Corsica, spoke French with an Italian accent (especially when angry), so 'it's very Napoleon to speak French with an accent.' Many of the reenactors' assignments aligned with their nationalities: German and Polish reenactors formed the Prussian battalions, British fought with the British, and French with the French. But there were exceptions: Portuguese reenactors studied Dutch phrases so they could follow their Dutch-speaking unit, Czech people fought with the French (the stylish uniforms were a draw, one said), and some Spaniards and Italians fought in a kilt-wearing Scottish battalion. Advertisement And then, of course, there was the American leader of the French army. Schneider has in recent years become the most sought-after Napoleon globally. 'I get more street cred, if you will, because I rose up through the ranks,' he said, referring to his start as a rank-and-file reenactment soldier. 'I didn't immediately make myself the emperor.' In 2015, for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, organizers chose a French Napoleon, Frank Samson, a lawyer in Paris. But Samson's retirement just after the battle sparked a search for replacements. For bigger anniversaries, like the 210th, organizers stage a larger event, while holding smaller reenactments in other years. Franky Simon, a reenactment organizer who played Napoleon's right-hand man, Marshal Michel Ney, said that organizers had to search far and wide for an emperor up to par for this year's battle. 'For small events, we take a local Napoleon, and for big events, we take Mark,' said Simon, a Belgian librarian, praising Schneider's equestrian skills. Last year, Jean-Gérald Larcin of Belgium played Napoleon for the pared down 209th anniversary. On Sunday morning, on a wheat field rented from a farmer, war reenactors and 100 horses staged the battle -- which lasted around 10 hours in real life -- in 90 minutes. One reenactor had to be assisted off the field because of the heat, made more trying by the woolen uniforms as temperatures soared into the high 80s. Advertisement At the time of the 1815 battle, the real Napoleon Bonaparte, 45, had recently left exile on Elba and returned to power. At Waterloo, on June 18, he faced a coalition of European armies, led by Britain's Duke of Wellington and Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher of Prussia. More than 60,000 men were killed, wounded or captured in the battle, which ended Napoleon's reign and France's quest to dominate Europe. In a speech at the start to hundreds of reenactors, Michael Haynes, who played a British general, tied Waterloo to modern events. 'We are going to remind the world of how that tyrant was stopped and pulled down,' he said of Napoleon. 'We will encourage Europe and the world that there is hope when faced with oppression.' Haynes spent the nights leading up to the battle camping in one of the hundreds of tents erected a few miles from the French army's encampment. (He confessed that he slept on an air bed, not a wooden and canvas one, like some of the most dedicated reenactors). While the mood among the allied forces before the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was reported to have been anxious, the encampment last week was lively. Alcohol flowed freely, and drinking songs lasted until the early hours. When, at 7 a.m. one day, someone started playing bagpipes, shouts of 'shut up,' with expletives, could be heard from the tent of an annoyed reenactor trying to sleep, according to Mair Mason, from Birmingham, England, who played a friend of the Duke of Wellington's wife. As for Schneider, after 20 years of leading the French army into mock battles across Europe, he plans to pass the baton following his career-crowning performance at Waterloo. Advertisement 'There are a bunch of Napoleons popping up left and right,' he said. 'I want to give them an opportunity. Whether they be the Polish Napoleon, the Dutch Napoleon, or the Belgian.' Or maybe, one day, Napoleon will be French again. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why the John Garfield Retrospective at Karlovy Vary May Seem More Political Than Intended
A John Garfield retrospective at the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) promises black-and-white treasures, a showcase of Hollywood's method acting pioneer and that special 35 millimeter film experience. Oh, and it may also cause some viewers to debate political parallels between the U.S. of Garfield's time and today. Garfield, known for such movies as The Postman Always Rings Twice, Four Daughters, and Body and Soul, made a name for himself by playing brooding working-class characters in the 1940s. He then sought greater creative control as a contract with Warner came to an end, so he co-founded the production company Roberts Productions. More from The Hollywood Reporter Paolo Sorrentino's 'La Grazia' Set to Open Venice Film Festival La Roux Wants You to Know That Beyond Singing, She Also Writes, Produces, and Performs Her Music Monotony and a First-Time Actor Loom Large in Reintegration Drama 'Rain Fell on the Nothing New' 'It's my baby,' KVIFF artistic director Karel Och tells THR about the retrospective. 'I've been wanting to do Garfield for many years, since the centenary [of his birth] in 2013, because I don't think we've ever done a tribute to an actor, and also an actor who tried to build his career in times which were very difficult, politically speaking, in America.' After all, Garfield's career took a hit when he was called to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) that looked into allegations of Communist ties and activities by people in Hollywood and beyond. 'The accusations had a fatal box office impact on one of his final films, The Breaking Point (1950), an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's adventure novel To Have and Have Not, which the author himself considered the best film adaptation of any of his books,' according to KVIFF organizers. 'Unlike others who collaborated with the authorities and denounced their colleagues in order to protect their own skins, the exhausted Garfield, already suffering poor health, did not 'name names,'' making him a victim of McCarthyism. Given U.S. President Donald Trump's battle with cultural and media organizations and personalities, Garfield's life story may strike some as fitting into some of today's narratives. Och has developed a reputation for booking the festival with a focus on artistic decisions rather than politics or gimmicks, though. And he emphasizes that this was also the case with the long-planned Garfield retrospective. 'First and foremost, the intention for this is aesthetic and historical, to tell people in my country and in Central Europe who have no clue who he was that this guy was here before Marlon Brando and before James Dean, and he was the first method actor. People will maybe also see that America then and America nowadays are not that different in terms of certain things, politically speaking.' He has an example of a scene that may sound topical again today: 'There is a movie with Garfield, which we are screening, called Pride of the Marines, which is less known and which I only discovered some time ago. It's based on the real story of a soldier, Al Schmid, who went to Guadalcanal in the Second World War, ended up blind, and came back and tried to continue his life. There is a strong scene in the movie set in the hospital with all the soldiers who are about to go home, and they are a little worried about what they will find, in terms of private life, but also in terms of work. And one soldier says, 'Well, I'm going back home, and I may find out that there's some Mexican doing my job.' This is 1946. And the camera pans to a guy who is his fellow soldier, who's Mexican. And the first soldier realizes this, and he's like: 'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean you, I meant the other Mexican.' And the guy responds: 'Well, I am the other Mexican.'' Och understands that scenes like that could leave audiences pondering some very clear parallels with our current moment. 'You have such a strong statement that you could also have in a movie nowadays, basically,' he tells THR. 'And with Garfield, you have this incredible personality who tried to stay true to his ideals in the times of this [anti-communist] witch hunt and economic crisis and whatnot. But first and foremost, these movies are just fascinating. Certain issues might or will be perceived as political, but these are never on our minds in the first instance. We're doing Garfield because he was the most amazing actor.' Och is also proud to be able to screen a large part of the retrospective on old-school film. 'We have eight of the 10 movies on 35 millimeter prints. So, I hope it will be enlightening, also maybe for a younger generation, from this point of view, because the chances to see films on film material are more and more rare nowadays.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
