Eva Longoria is not holding back, as she recently screened her directorial debut at the Cannes Film Festival 2023 and openly discussed the lack of opportunities for female directors in Hollywood, particularly those who are non-white.
During the Kering Women in Motion talk at Cannes, Longoria expressed the weight she felt representing her community and every female director, emphasizing the scarcity of chances they receive. She specifically mentioned her feature directorial debut, Flamin’ Hot, and acknowledged that the last studio film directed by a Latina was 20 years ago.
Highlighting the issue, Longoria said, “We can’t get a movie every 20 years. So the problem is, if this movie fails, people go, ‘Oh, Latino stories don’t work.’ ‘Oh, female directors really don’t cut it.'”
She pointed out the discrepancy in opportunities, stating that while a white male director can direct a $200 million film, fail, and still get another chance, women and minority directors do not receive the same luxury.
Longoria described her mindset going into filming Flamin’ Hot, emphasizing the pressure she felt. She explained, “We get one at-bat. We get one chance. I gotta make it right, I gotta do it well, I gotta work twice as hard, I gotta out hustle everybody in the room, I gotta work twice as fast, I gotta do it twice as cheap… You really carry the generational traumas with you into the making of the film.”
Despite the challenges, Longoria expressed her determination and excitement for the journey, ultimately creating a beautiful film.
Flamin’ Hot, based on a 2013 memoir, tells the inspiring story of Richard Montañez, a Frito Lay janitor who played a significant role in disrupting the food industry, as described by Disney+. The film features Jesse Garcia, Tony Shalhoub, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, and Annie Gonzalez.
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