Nasty Clichés

My early years at Cannes were overshadowed by the stigma of being a woman from the East. I was tired of seeing people’s relaxed smiles shift the moment, somewhere in the middle of a conversation, they’d find out the answer to the question, “Where are you from?”

The most disagreeable cliché I kept hearing — one that echoed edition after edition — was: “Ah, Romania… the country that gives Europe its most talented courtesans.”

“See it, Be it” — If Possible

Then came See It, Be It, the career accelerator dedicated to rising female professionals. I had proposed strong, relevant names from Romania year after year — yet none ever made the shortlist.

And still, I knew just how much brilliance, intellect, and creative spectacle lived within the talented Romanian women I had the privilege to know back home.

Women in international Juries, really ?

Meanwhile, Cannes’ festival leadership — rightfully — wanted to see less macho dominance and more diversity in their panels, offering outstanding women a seat at the jury table.

When I launched the “Women in Juries” program in Romania, reactions from the industry’s men were split: some supported it wholeheartedly, others mocked it with loud irony.

The solution

I kept thinking about how to respond — how to wrap all these tensions into a solution-statement that was elegant, vibrant, and bigger than its brief. One that could promote Romanian talent in every shape and form, across every local and international stage I had access to.

Said and done: the answer was Ladies First. From its very first edition, it was a hit. It opened doors into See It, Be It, served as inspiration for mapping other underrepresented creative industries still stuck under cliché.

Below you’ll find the latest edition.

And what follows is a revolution — it’s called Young Lady. Stay tuned for that.

In the meantime, discover Romanian Brains x Beauty as cristalised in the latest LadiesFirst edition.