Hollywood star Kate Winslet has spoken out about beauty expectations placed on women and urged them to celebrate their body shape. The actress spoke to reporters about her new movie “Lee,” where she plays World War Two photographer Elizabeth “Lee” Miller. During filming, she was asked to sit up straighter because rolls were visible on her abdomen, but she refused, saying she would not hide her body. She also argued that her character would not have had a perfect body shape. “She wasn’t lifting weights or doing Pilates. She was eating cheese, bread and drinking wine,” Winslet said.
The Titanic star is well known for her commitment to natural beauty and refuses to entertain criticisms of her image or body. “Life is too short,” she declared. Offering life advice to women, the British star urged them not to worry about other people’s opinions, something she has increasingly learned to do as she aged. The 48-year-old said the comments and opinions of others have “evaporated,” and she is “more comfortable” in herself than ever.
When plans to film “Lee” were in the works, Winslet insisted it must have a female director. Her wish was granted, and cinematographer Ellen Kuras was hired for the job, making her directorial debut. Winslet stated that she wanted to create a character that honors the memory of the famed American photographer, who was one of just four female photographers to accompany US forces during the later months of the Second World War. Miller reported from Normandy, the battle of Saint-Malo, and the Nazi concentration camps at Dachau and Buchenwald.
Lee Miller was the only photographer present at the battle of Saint-Malo when American forces besieged the Nazi-held port in northern France. However, her presence on the front line was prohibited, and she went there unofficially, after which she was arrested and barred from combat sites. After the war, she remained in France and took pictures of the aftermath, including women whose heads were shaved as punishment for allegedly collaborating with the Nazis during their occupation.
Additionally, the photographer accompanied American troops as they arrived in Nazi death camps, and the full horrors of the Holocaust were revealed.
