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Cate Blanchett has revealed that her critically acclaimed 2015 movie Carol struggled to get funding because no one wanted to see a film about “two women falling in love”.
The film, by director Todd Haynes, was lauded by critics and audiences upon its release and earned six Oscar nominations including Blanchett for Best Actress and her co-star Rooney Mara for Best Supporting Actress.
Set in 1950s New York, it tells the story of Blanchett’s titular character who falls in love with a younger woman, played by Mara and has an affair with her.
Although it now has a prestige status amongst film lovers, Blanchett has said that the film was “so hard” to get made due to the LGBT+ subject matter.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival via Variety, where she is promoting her new Alfonso Cuarón series Disclaimer as well as the new Guy Maddin film Rumours, Blanchett said: “It was a five-year period because no one wanted to fund it at that point. No one wanted to see … who was going to watch a film with one woman, let alone two women, falling in love?”
The 55-year-old two-time Oscar winner added: “We do think about how much still has to change within the industry in terms of equity, inclusion and making films more sustainably. But, you know, we have made huge advances.”
Blanchett also revealed that the film had multiple directors attached to it at certain stages and that she at one point stepped away until Haynes expressed an interest and got her back on board.
It comes after the Australian-American star laughed off a question from a reporter about the gown she wore to the Cannes Film Festival this year.
In May, the Tár actor, made headlines when she donned a black satin and baby pink haute couture bustier dress that featured an emerald green lining. It was interpreted by many as a gesture of solidarity with Palestine due to the colours that similarly matched those of the Palestinian flag.
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Photos of her holding open the slit of the dress to show off the inner lining quickly went viral on X, with many fans believing she was making a statement.
While Blanchett never commented on the dress herself, she was finally confronted about it on Thursday (August 29) at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival ahead of the premiere of her new psychological thriller miniseries Disclaimer.
“We all remember the dress you wore for the Cannes Film Festival that made quite big news there,” a journalist said before asking if people “could expect something interesting in your outfit tonight or tomorrow?”
Without missing a beat, the two-time Oscar winner joked: “I’m going naked.”
