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 the
00:34script 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 business.
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 at the namesake of this award.
00:58Thank you, Sherry.
01:02And 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.
01:34No, you have to wait.
01:35You and Selena got to sit down until we stop talking.
01:38I'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 was invited
01:5625 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 of her
02:33life to lift other women up, to not only give profound support, but consistently give them
02:41incredible opportunities with radical determination.
02:46In 2017, Nicole made a commitment at the Cannes Film Festival to work with a female director every
02:5418 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.
03:11Two 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 by
03:32Helena Rain, 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 the
03:52music, 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.
04:33I keep thinking, as I'm sitting with all of you today, about the expectations we put on ourselves,
04:43and how we try to rise above societal expectations for some unreachable concept 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 in your collaboration have captured so much for us to consider,
05:08and for 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 Pearsari and Blossom Films, pushes us to feel uncomfortable, to witness
05:43what we have not seen before, and to ask questions as a culture and as individuals that guide us toward
05:51deeper 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.
06:04Nicole is never not growing opportunities or building stories.
06:11Despite her endless commitments, Nicole is always showing up, not only as an actor and producer,
06:19but equally as mother, as wife, as daughter, as sister, as friend, and as advocate, and yes,
06:30you 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.
06:40She is the greatest neighbor anybody can have.
06:44And 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.
07:21So please join me to invite her here and pay tribute in honoring this glorious and amazing
07:30goddess.
07:31I am so proud to present this award to my beautiful friend, ladies and gentlemen, the goddess herself,
07:36Nicole Kidman.
07:38Thank you so much for joining me.
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