Audrey Diwan, director, screenwriter, and Chanel’s friend of the house, took the helm as patron of this year’s Biennale College—Cinema, tightening the brand’s bond with the programme. No stranger to Venice, Diwan won the Golden Lion in 2021 with the movie Happening, starring Chanel’s ambassador Anamaria Vartolomei.

She praised the talent of the participants, saying that, while each of their work was highly individual, they all share a common thread: “ They put women as strong characters at the center of their movies,” she said. “When I first imagined becoming a filmmaker, there weren’t many films that placed women at the centre, as subjects in their own right. Today, it feels like a vital way to explore our reality. What’s interesting is that this shift isn’t only happening with female directors. Take The Nuns, for example, the movie by Massimiliano Camaiti set in a convent—directed by a man, yet entirely seen through the eyes of nuns. So yes, for me, the point is simple: women at the core. At the heart of each story there’s a strong female character—whether her strength is tender, fierce, or quietly resolute, it’s definitely the focus.”

“I take it as a very encouraging sign, because ultimately we have to move beyond gender,” she reflected. “I love the idea of trying to see the world through a man’s eyes, just as I hope men can look through mine. That kind of freedom is essential. I don’t believe that being a woman means you can only tell women’s stories; what matters is sharing a vision with sincerity and integrity. Of course, it can be more difficult to fully embrace another gaze, but when the effort is genuine, it shows that something is shifting, that collaboration between genders is evolving. And fiction, after all, has a way of revealing exactly where we stand as a society.”