Wendy Mitchell and Julie Delpy speak at the Swarovski Talk “Women of Impact” during the 15th Zurich Film Festival at NZZ Folio Bellevue in Zurich, Switzerland.  ©Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Swarovski)

The question of why women are still so under-represented in the movie industry, and why female filmmakers receive less funding compared with their male colleagues, was dealt with at the symposium, which took place at the NZZ Forum on Bellevueplatz in Zurich on September 29, 2019.

The much-anticipated guest at the discussion was French-American actress Julie Delpy, who made her international breakthrough in 1995 with the romantic movie Before Sunrise. Since then, she has made it to the very pinnacle of the movie industry as an actor in over 60 films, as a director, a screenwriter, an Oscar® nominee, and a role model for many women.

As one of the few actresses to have found success in both Europe and Hollywood, Julie Delpy used the discussion as an opportunity to talk about her personal experiences in the movie industry. A self-proclaimed feminist, she also presented the moving drama My Zoe at the Zurich Film Festival, which she directed and stars in as the main character. Julie Delpy: “I was raised by the biggest feminist on the planet – my dad. If there is a chance of equality men must be involved in this. Men should be included in women’s issues.”

Alongside Nadja Swarovski, the hosts of the Women of Impact debate were Carolina Müller-Möhl, founder and president of the Müller-Möhl Foundation, and Nadja Schildknecht, co-director and co-founder of the Zurich Film Festival. For the last five years it has been their mission to encourage women and to stand up for gender equality. They also feel there should be more publicity to increase awareness of the contemporary image of women in the movie industry.

Swarovski has supported the promotion of women for many years and applies the principles of gender equality and equal opportunities within the company. To mirror this commitment, Swarovski has been among the signatories of the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles since 2014, and explicitly encourages women in the workplace. Furthermore, the Swarovski Foundation, established in 2013, is involved in charity projects around the world. The Women of Impact panel offers the chance to draw further attention to human empowerment.

Birgit Berthold-Kremser, Carolina Müller-Möhl, Julie Delpy, ZFF Co-Festival director Nadja Schildknecht and Wendy Mitchell attend the Swarovski Talk “Women of Impact” during the 15th Zurich Film Festival at NZZ Folio Bellevue in Zurich, Switzerland.   ©Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Swarovski