The Substance director Coralie Fargeat has pulled her film, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley, from the 2024 Camerimage Film Festival in response to what she called “highly misogynistic and offensive” comments from festival CEO Marek Zydowicz.
Fargeat announced the decision in a statement on X, in which she noted that The Substance cinematographer Benjamin Kracun has also decided not to attend this year’s Camerimage event kicking off Saturday in Poland.
“The Substance is about the impact of exactly those types of behaviors on our world. We shouldn’t tolerate them anymore. We send our support to all involved in the festival and hope this decision will create a much needed change,” Fargeat and Kracun added in their joint statement.
Festival founder and CEO Marek Zydowicz sparked controversy with his remarks in an editorial last week about the festival’s lack of female cinematographers in selections for past editions. In his column, Zydowicz seemed to argue that greater female representation could result in a lineup of diminished artistic quality.
“The film industry is undergoing rapid changes, affecting the cinematic image, its content and aesthetics,” Zydowicz wrote in Cinematography World magazine. “One of the most significant changes is the growing recognition of female cinematographers and directors. This evolution is crucial as it rectifies the obvious injustice present in societal development. However, it also raises a question: Can the pursuit of change exclude what is good? Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre film production?”
A number of leading cinematography guilds quickly condemned the remarks, and Steve McQueen, who was scheduled to attend the opening night screening of his latest feature Blitz, canceled his appearance at the festival.
The Camerimage main competition jury — headed by Cate Blanchett and including Anna Higgs, Sandy Powell, Anthony Dod Mantle, Rodrigo Prieto, Lukasz Zal and Jolanta Dylewska — responded to the remarks from Zydowicz and expressed support for the festival.
“We welcome debate regarding gender representation,” the group wrote. “While we will be focused on the task we have the great privilege to have been invited to take on — to watch and celebrate the work of cinematographers — we look forward to being part of meaningful discussions with our peers at the festival about greater inclusion and recognition of excellence in all its forms in our industry. We wholeheartedly support the necessary shift towards genuine inclusivity, and festivals can be a great forum for engaging in such conversations and championing positive change.”
The Substance stars Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, who’s fired as the celebrity host of a daytime TV fitness show and begins injecting a secret serum to produce a younger, more perfect version of herself, Sue, played by Qualley, but the two have to trade places every week, leading to complications.
