Why more and more actresses are turning to directing

by Violaine Schütz, 

Jordan Bako.

It was one of the key trends in recent years—and at the last Cannes Film Festival. And it’s likely to shape the next one, too. In 2024, many actresses debuted films as directors. Céline Sallette appeared on the Croisette with Niki, a biopic about artist Niki de Saint Phalle; Noémie Merlant unveiled Les Femmes au balcon (set in a heatwave-stricken Marseille); Laetitia Dosch presented Le Procès du chien; and Ariane Labed introduced September Says. Judith Godrèche premiered Moi aussi, a short film addressing sexual violence. Even the festival’s jury president, Greta Gerwig, is an actress-turned-director.

Noémie Merlant, Laetitia Dosch… a growing number of actresses head behind the camera

The growing number of women stepping behind the camera to express their own vision—beyond the male gaze—is no coincidence. This trend aligns closely with the momentum of the #MeToo movement. Women no longer want to be objects of male desire or perspective—they’re creating their own stories, populated with heroines often far more nuanced than those imagined by male directors.

As filmmaker Anissa Bonnefont recently put it: “There have been—and still are—men who tell women’s stories beautifully. But today, more and more female directors are beginning to make space for a different representation of women in cinema. It’s reassuring to witness this, even though we’re still very far from gender equality in our industry. Now we’re seeing films made by women where female characters are portrayed in all their complexity and strength—and that needs to stop being frightening.”

The end of the actress as an object in the hands of an all-powerful director?

The emergence of actresses-turned-directors signals the closing of an era—the actress as an object, a mere instrument wielded by a powerful auteur. As Juliette Binoche once said in Libération about her early career: “When a young actress, mutable and hesitant, gives herself through a role, she turns to her director for approval. She is wholly his, hers, the world’s. Doesn’t that yearning from the young actress give the director the illusion that everything belongs to him? Has he not sensed that this extreme longing hides another, not necessarily carnal, but invisible, unreachable—a yearning for the absolute that transcends them both?”

A movement spreading across the Atlantic

This shift is not entirely new. Asia Argento, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Nicole Garcia, Hafsia Herzi, Monia Chokri, Mélanie Laurent, Emmanuelle Bercot, Zabou Breitman, Sophie Marceau, Agnès Jaoui, Julie Delpy, Valérie Donzelli, Sandrine Kiberlain, Valérie Lemercier, and Maïwenn have all leaped from acting to directing.

And the movement has long since taken root in the U.S. Angelina Jolie made her directorial debut as early as 2007 with the documentary A Place in Time. Last September, the Girl, Interrupted star showcased Without Blood, a drama she wrote and directed, starring Salma Hayek, at the Toronto International Film Festival.

After two years of media quiet, Zoë Kravitz returned to the spotlight—not as an actress, but as a director. Blink Twice marks her directorial debut, a project starring Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie that’s been in development since 2017. Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslet, and Kristen Stewart are also preparing to release their first features. Stewart’s debut, The Chronology of Water, stars Imogen Poots and has yet to receive a release date. Both this film and Scarlett Johansson’s Eleanor the Great could potentially be featured at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

More and more actresses becoming producers

It’s not just about directing—many actresses are also taking control as producers. Speaking to Numéro about the release of The Outrun, Saoirse Ronan shared: “I wanted to be more creatively involved and bring my own perspective to a project centered on me. After producing this film, I believe more actresses should step into action.”

Actresses have increasingly made their mark as producers in Hollywood—think Reese Witherspoon or Viola Davis. In 2024, by taking up the camera and embracing production roles, actresses are clearly reclaiming power. Just as Margot Robbie declared in the metaphysical final scene of Barbie (2023): “I don’t want to be an idea anymore.”

Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water has yet to set a release date.