At the Venice Film Festival on Monday, legendary actress Ellen Burstyn received a Lifetime Achievement Award and used the occasion to praise the steady progress of women in the film industry. Burstyn, now 93, reflected on a career that began more than six decades ago when film crews were almost entirely male.
From an all‑male set to near‑parity
“When I first started working, which was 150 years ago, there were no women on the set. There were no women crew. There was nobody, no woman behind the camera. It was all men,” Burstyn told reporters. She credited the women’s movement and the late feminist activist Gloria Steinem for helping shift attitudes across Hollywood.
“Slowly that changed until finally it’s gotten to the point where women are handling heavy equipment without even thinking about it, and they’re integrated into the crews. They’re not quite 50/50, but they’re close,” she added, underscoring the tangible gains made by women in technical and leadership roles.
Career highlights and lasting impact
Burstyn’s own résumé reflects the breadth of her talent. She earned an Academy Award for the 1974 drama Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, later added a Tony Award and two Emmys, and remains active in film and theater. She recalled how the Scorsese‑directed Alice helped challenge outdated depictions of women on screen, noting that earlier scripts often reduced women to supporting roles, such as “their husbands would go out and save the world, and when he came home, they’d make him a cup of tea.”
She also revisited her experience on William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic The Exorcist, describing the physically demanding stunt work that left her with a lasting back injury. “It was a life‑changing experience, but it was painful, physically painful,” she said.
Continuing to work in her 90s
Even at 93, Burstyn remains prolific. This year she appears in Kornel Mundruczo’s road movie Place to Be and in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 17‑minute short Flesh Impact, where she portrays Marilyn Monroe in a speculative future where the icon lives to 100.
When asked what draws her to new projects after a half‑century in the business, Burstner answered simply: “If it makes me laugh, that’s good. If it makes me cry, that’s good. If it makes me laugh and cry, that’s terrific.”
Why the progress matters
Burstyn’s remarks echo a broader cultural shift that aligns with traditional family values and the importance of individual liberty. By expanding opportunities for women behind the camera, the industry not only honors the contributions of mothers, wives, and daughters but also upholds the principle that every citizen should have the freedom to pursue their vocation without artificial barriers.
Her celebration of these advances serves as a reminder that continued support for women’s participation in all fields—especially those historically dominated by men—strengthens both the creative community and the nation’s moral fabric.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
