Maggie Gyllenhaal made a striking fashion statement on the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival on Friday, attending the premiere of "A Place To Heal." The actress, 48, who is serving as the festival's jury president, wore a custom one-shouldered black taffeta gown by Celine. The dramatic dress featured a voluminous skirt and a short train, with Gyllenhaal pairing it with pointed black heels.
Her ensemble was completed with a small gold clutch and dark sunglasses, which she momentarily set aside for photographers. The appearance followed Gyllenhaal's earlier remarks on the opening day of the 83rd festival, where she highlighted the limited number of female directors in the competition.
"Could it be possible that the things that women, having had a different experience of being alive in the world, want to make movies about are not always deemed high art? Who decides what’s good?" Gyllenhaal questioned at a press conference. She described the situation as a "systemic problem."
Gyllenhaal also shared her perspective on the nature of cinema, stating her preference for films that offer an invitation into the filmmaker's mind and collaborative process rather than perfection. "I'm interested in having an interaction with something human, even if that human has a very different experience or point of view than I do," she explained.
She further articulated that art should not be limited by specific subjects or creators. "I want to be rocked, shaken up. I want my mind to be changed," Gyllenhaal said, adding that exploring complex characters can foster empathy. "I think that when we tell stories about even the most perverse, corrupt characters, it allows us to find empathy for the corruption and perversity all around us, and even—and this, of course, is scariest of all—inside of us."
The Venice Film Festival commenced on Wednesday with the premiere of Danny Boyle's "Ink," a film about Rupert Murdoch. The festival is scheduled to conclude on September 12 with the Italian costume drama "Dio Ride" (God Laughs). Gyllenhaal is joined on the main competition jury by directors Kaouther Ben Hania and Xavier Giannoli, composer Daniel Blumberg, film critic Francesco Casetti, director Shahrbanoo Sadat, and director Johnnie To.