American actress Ellen Burstyn praised the transformation in opportunities available to women in the film industry since her career began more than six decades ago, while accepting the Venice Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award on Monday.
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Burstyn, 93, said film sets used to be dominated by men, with women's roles largely limited to acting.
"When I first started working... there wasn't a single woman on set. There was no female crew. There wasn't a woman behind the camera. Everyone was a man," she told reporters.
She praised the role of the women's movement, particularly feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who died this month, in helping shift attitudes across various parts of the industry.
"That changed gradually, until eventually women were handling heavy equipment without even thinking twice about it, becoming an integral part of the crew. It's not quite 50/50 yet, but it's getting close," she said.
Burstyn is among the few actors to have achieved the "Triple Crown of Acting," having won an Oscar for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore in 1974, a Tony Award, and two Emmy Awards.
The Venice Lifetime Achievement Award marks the latest honor in a career that has continued into her nineties. Burstyn is still working, with two projects releasing this year: The Wonder [note: title given in the text as "Place to Be"], directed by Kornél Mundruczó, and the short film Flesh Impact, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
