Cannes ‘turned away amputee in flat shoes’
20 May 2015
From the section Entertainment & Arts
The festival insists there is no official rule about female guests wearing high heels
Film producer Valeria Richter, who has part of her left foot amputated, says she was stopped at the Cannes Film Festival for not wearing high heels.
She told BBC 5 live red carpet officials pointed at her shoes and said: “No, no, this won’t work, you can’t get in like this.”
Her comments come after the festival was accused of turning away women in flat shoes.
The festival has denied heels are part of the official dress code.
A spokeswoman said ushers had been “reminded” of this, suggesting women in flat shoes would now be admitted.
However, numerous festival-goers have reported seeing women being turned away.
Among them was Asif Kapadia – whose Amy Winehouse documentary premiered in Cannes last weekend – who said his wife had been stopped on the red carpet but was “eventually let in”.
‘Very disappointing’
Ms Richter told the BBC she “couldn’t keep her balance” in heels, after having her big toe and part of her left foot amputated.
She was stopped four times on her way into the premiere of Gus Van Sant’s Sea of Trees on Saturday.
“They pointed their finger at my shoe and then were waving their fingers at me,” she said. “It was quite obvious it was my shoes that was an issue.”
“Obviously, I could wave my foot at them,” she said, “and that would make the situation a little awkward for them, because I had a visible explanation [for not wearing heels]”.
“But many of my colleagues who can’t wear heels were rejected and did not come in.”
Source:: BBC Entertainment
