00:00Congratulations again to all you amazing, inspiring young women.
00:06What an honor to be here in this room.
00:10What a privilege to join you all this morning and to be in a room filled with such extraordinary
00:16people and leaders and guides and women, namely, a namesake I want to pay tribute to again.
00:27I know we all feel this way, but I remember doing my first job as an 11-year-old, and
00:34the script supervisor was a woman, not my makeup, not my hair.
00:39That was the one woman on set, and I thought, God, I wonder if other women work in this
00:44business.
00:46And then I met Sherry Lansing and the greatest gift to all of us as a leader and pioneer.
00:53So what a tribute to get to be here and pay tribute to you with the namesake of this award.
00:59Thank you, Sherry.
01:06And there's another person in this room who is today's honoree of this amazing award,
01:15a true leader, a guide, my guide, my producer, my collaborator, my sister, and yes, so you
01:26all know, sometimes my therapist, ladies and gentlemen, Nicole Kidman.
01:32No, you have to wait.
01:35You and Selena got to sit down till we stop talking.
01:40I'm going to say a few more things, but I first had the privilege of getting to know
01:47Nick through friendship.
01:49It was amazing.
01:50I don't know how it happened, even though I'm from Santa Monica, California, that I
01:55was invited 25-plus years ago into the Australian coven.
02:02It consists of an amazing group of beloved friends and artists who protect and champion
02:08each other.
02:10Then I got to bear witness to Nicole as my producer and as my fellow actor on Big Little
02:16Lies and now producing partner and sister on a new film we're working on.
02:25And this is where I've witnessed up close and personal her commitment in every area
02:33of her life to lift other women up, to not only give profound support, but consistently
02:41give them incredible opportunities with radical determination.
02:45In 2017, Nicole made a commitment at the Cannes Film Festival to work with a female director
02:54every 18 months.
02:56Then she changed her mind because that wasn't enough for her.
02:59So seven years later, she's far surpassed her own goal.
03:03And in the past year alone, four of her six current projects were directed by women.
03:16Two of her upcoming projects also directed by women.
03:20And one of those projects, and for those of you who have not seen it, what an extraordinary
03:25experience and opportunity you have ahead in the project I get to speak of, directed
03:31by Helena Raine, who is sitting here with us, the film Baby Girl.
03:43Baby Girl is extraordinary.
03:46And Baby Girl within it, like all of the performances that Helena captures, like the sound, like
03:52the music, like the imagery, will never leave us.
03:58And within it is Nicole's performance.
04:02It defies fear.
04:04It expresses such profound bravery and holds the deepest of raw truth.
04:11Nicole plays the high-powered CEO and dutiful mother, Romy.
04:15And Nicole's performance offers an extraordinary point of view within the complexities of the
04:23human condition and societal expectations on women.
04:28Since I've watched it several days ago, I can't stop thinking.
04:32I kept, I keep thinking as I'm sitting with all of you today about the expectations we
04:40put on ourselves and how we try to rise above societal expectations for some unreachable
04:51concept of leadership.
04:54And yet leadership was there all along.
04:59It's when we allow ourselves to be all of it.
05:02And I think the two of you and your collaboration have captured so much for us to consider and
05:08for all women to consider and how we support deeply and truly support each other.
05:15This film also exemplifies Nicole's career-long dedication to extraordinary leadership.
05:23She leads us every time toward a perspective of the female gaze pointing inward.
05:30Be it in the writing, the direction, or of course, the acting, Nicole's determination
05:36as a producer, along with Per Sari and Blossom Films, pushes us to feel uncomfortable, to
05:43witness what we have not seen before, and to ask questions as a culture and as individuals
05:50that guide us toward deeper empathy and humanity.
05:55One of the many other ways that Nicole demonstrates her exceptional leadership is in the way she
06:01consistently shows up.
06:05Nicole is never not growing opportunities or building stories.
06:12Despite her endless commitments, Nicole is always showing up, not only as an actor and
06:19producer, but equally as mother, as wife, as daughter, as sister, as friend, and as
06:28advocate, and yes, you know this is true, as neighbor.
06:33You have never seen decorations like her.
06:36If you want to be reminded it's Halloween, you know it's Halloween.
06:41She is the greatest neighbor anybody can have, and she creates true home.
06:46She is at the ready for a cup of tea with open ears and an open heart, and nothing falls
06:53through the cracks with Nicole around.
06:56From the first time I had the privilege of seeing her on screen, to our most recent visit
07:02together, yes, with an amazing cup of tea, Nicole continues to teach me how to pave the
07:08way for inspiring and magical leadership.
07:12I know that for Nicole, leadership means inviting everybody in with her.
07:19I've watched her do it all these years, so please join me to invite her here and pay
07:26tribute in honoring this glorious and amazing goddess.
07:31I am so proud to present this award to my beautiful friend, ladies and gentlemen, the
07:36goddess herself, Nicole Kidman.
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