Australian actress Cate Blanchett faced criticism on social media after referring to herself as “middle class” during a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The declaration surprised many due to his considerable assets, estimated in USD 95 million dollars.
Blanchett, a goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), was participating in the event titled “UNHCR: Displaced Stories”where the global refugee crisis and the need to include their stories in cinematic narrative was discussed.
The protagonist of carol was arguing in favor of his genuine call to humanitarian work, when he expressed the following. “I’m white, I’m privileged, I’m middle class., and I think one could be accused of having a bit of that white savior complex. But to be perfectly honest, my interaction with refugees or displaced people has totally changed my perspective.”
These words were shared on social networks by the Associated Press and quickly went viral. The artist, known for her roles in The Lord of the rings, The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, also highlighted: “I think that by having a platform, I want to be in dialogue with these people. “I have met extraordinary people with extraordinary creative talents and incredible perspectives.”
Despite its good intentions, the fact that it was called “middle class” was controversial on social networks. X users questioned Blanchett’s perception of her socioeconomic status.
“Cate Blanchett considers herself ‘middle class’ compared to who, Jeff Bezos?” commented one user. Another added: “Rich people are so out of touch.”
In contrast, those who defended the actress argued that, in the British context, the term “middle class” refers more to the family past than to individually accumulated wealth.
UNHCR: Displaced Stories It was an event in which Blanchett urged the representation of refugees in film. “People who are displaced have a voice, they have a story,” she told reporters.
He commented that more than 114 million people have been displaced worldwide due to violence and war, and expressed his bewilderment at the lack of films that address this reality. “The exclusion of these voices from our narratives contributes to their dehumanization,” he said, according to AFP.
Cate stressed the need to diversify the stories told on the big screen to avoid monotonous repetition of the same narratives. “When they think about directors they might work with or stories they might be interested in… they just Make a list of people who don’t look like you, who haven’t had experiences like yours.and see what stories they could tell,” urged the actress and also producer.
It is precisely in this facet that he has encountered difficulties in promoting and making fictions that go outside the traditional come true. “You can see it in meetings with streamers when you go to pitch them a story and they say, ‘Oh, we loved it, we connected, we were really moved, but it’s not part of what we do,’” he explained.
At Cannes, Blanchett presented the film Rumors, a dark comedy directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson. The film, screened out of competition, narrates the misadventures of the leaders of the world’s largest liberal democracies who find themselves lost in a forest while trying to draft a treaty. The fiction received a four-minute ovation and praise for the satirical tone of the narrative. The cast includes Alicia Vikander, Charles Dance and Denis Menochet.
On his way down the red carpet CannesBlanchett also drew attention for her support of the Palestinian cause, wearing the colors of that flag while greeting photographers on their way to the emblematic Palais des Festivals auditorium.
