Last night, Carey Mulligan and Meryl Streep's new movie Suffragette opened the British Film Festival, and the premiere became the site of a real-life suffragette protest, with more than 100 feminist protesters gathering in London's leicester Square.
Women from the group Sisters Uncut clamoured over the barriers and onto the red carpet to stage a protest for more help for women suffering domenstic abuse - referring to recent cuts to services.
Wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words 'Two women killed every week' and 'Dead women can't vote'. They shouted 'The battle isn't over yet,' 'We are suffragettes,' and 'Domestic violence cuts kill'.
Meanwhile, other protesters waved banners on the outskirts of the premiere, letting off coloured flares which filled the air with green and purple smoke. Other protesters used the premiere to call for equality in the government, waving banners with the slogan '50/50 Parliament'.
'We believe that all women facing domestic violence should be able to access support and safety,' said Janelle Brown, from Sisters Uncut. 'Clearly the government do not share this belief, as they are removing funding for life-saving support services.'
The cast of the film spoke in support of the protest as they walked the red carpet. Helena Bonham Carter told Sky News: 'I’m glad our film has done something. That’s exactly what it’s there for.' She added that the protest was the 'perfect' response to the film.
Romeola Garai told reporters: 'I haven't spoken to them or seen their demands but I'm happy to see the suffrage movement is alive and happening.' And Carey - who it was revealed yesterday has recently given birth - added 'Hopefully this film will inspire everyone in the way they view the world. We are an unbalanced society - women and men - and films like this inspire conversations about how we can correct that imbalance.'
And it's clear from the night's protest that the movie's themes are already inspiring feminists to be bold and use their voices where they know they'll be heard.