A tribune for women

The Talks

A central pillar for the program’s visibility, the Talks showcase the work of women in filmmaking, photography and music whether in front of or behind the camera. The sessions discuss careers and setbacks, women’s representation in cultural and artistic professions as well as aspirations for change.

The Talks have welcomed several leading film directors and actresses such as Agnès Varda, Jodie Foster, Nadine Labaki, Chloë Sevigny, Diane Kruger, Carey Mulligan, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Yeoh, Eva Longoria, Lily Gladstone, Julianne Moore, Judith Godrèche and Charlotte Le Bon, but also producers, like Dame Donna Langley, Cate Blanchett and Coco Francini as well as prominent figures of the cinema world including Iris Knobloch, President of the Festival de Cannes and Dr. Stacy L. Smith, a researcher and professor at USC Annenberg. 

Initially scheduled at the Festival de Cannes, the Talks are now organized worldwide throughout the year – spanning the cities of Paris, New York, Salt Lake City, Shanghai and Tokyo – most often in conjunction with events such as Les Rencontres d’Arles, Les Rencontres 7^e Art Lausanne, Sœurs Jumelles Festival and the Tokyo International Film Festival. 

After more than 40 Talks spotlighting over 70 personalities, Women In Motion has become a platform of choice for helping to change mindsets and to think about both the role of women and the recognition they receive in arts and culture. 
 

Women In Motion LAB

Under its partnership with Les Rencontres d’Arles, 2019 saw Kering create the Women In Motion LAB. In collaboration with the French publishing house, les éditions Textuel, and endorsed through 2021, the LAB’s inaugural research project led to the publication of a seminal book covering the world history of women photographers – Une histoire mondiale des femmes photographes. Led by historians Luce Lebart and Marie Robert, the project centers on the careers and works of around 300 women who have made their mark on photography since the very beginning, on every continent. 

The LAB’s second edition served to support the research and development of Bettina Grossman’s archives by Yto Barrada, culminating in an eponymous book, Bettina, and an exhibition of her work at Les Rencontres d’Arles festival in 2022. 

In 2024, the third instalment of the Women In Motion LAB will see France’s first-ever collective exhibition presenting the history of Japanese women photographers, entitled: “I’m So Happy You Are Here, Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now.” The event is scheduled for the 55^th edition of Les Rencontres d’Arles and will feature twenty-five photographers including Rinko Kawauchi, Yurie Nagashima, Kunié Sugiura, Tokuko Ushioda, and Eiko Yamazawa, among others. Taking place at the Palais de l’Archevêché in Arles, this showcase continues in Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now, a book published by Aperture in English and Textuel in French.