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The film J'accuse (The officer and the spy), by Roman Polanski, heads the nominations for the César awards of French cinema , which sparked the protests of feminist associations , contrary to the recognition of a director accused of rape.

The historical film about the trial of the Jewish military Alfred Dreyfus , rewarded with the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival , has 12 nominations, included in the main categories of best film and best direction .

It also surpasses Los Miserables - Oscar candidate for the best foreign film - and La belle époque , with 11 each.

The César awards should not "adopt moral positions , " said Academy President Alain Terzian, announcing the nominations on Wednesday.

"Unless I am wrong, 1.5 million French people went to see (the) movie" by Polanski, he added, highlighting the success at the box office of J'accuse , the namesake title of Emile Zola's famous novel.

"The Academy is free to choose whoever it wants and in its way of functioning," added Culture Minister Franck Riester.

The Secretary of State for the Equality of men and women, Marlène Schiappa, indicated however that in her opinion

.

The premiere of the feature film at the end of 2019 in France was marked by calls for boycotts after a French photographer, Valentine Monnier, assured the press that Polanski raped her in 1975, when she was 18.

The Franco-Polish director, 86, denied it through his lawyer.

Polanski is a fugitive from the United States justice , where in 1977 he was accused of raping a child under 13.

Other women have claimed in recent years to have been victims of sexual assaults by the director of The Pianist .

"Shame!"

The announcement of the nominations for the César awards, whose ceremony will take place on February 28 at the Pleyel Hall in Paris , sparked a wave of reactions in social networks .

"12 nominations for the film J'accuse. 12 as the number of women who accuse him of rape! What a shame @LosCesar!" Tweeted the association Osez le feminisme.

"We meet at the Pleyel Hall, we will be there like at the Cinemateca in 2017," when there were protests against a retrospective devoted to the filmmaker, the organization added.

In 2017, Polanski ended up giving up the invitation to preside over the César awards ceremony , under pressure from these associations.

While the controversy surrounding this director dates back many years, French cinema has been barely shaken by the MeToo scandal. At the end of 2019, the first complaint of a known actress seemed to break the silence on this issue in the French cinema.

The interpreter Adele Haenel, who is making her way on the international scene with the film Portrait of a Woman on Fire , accused director Christophe Ruggia of harassing her when she was a teenager. The director was prosecuted this month for sexual assaults.

Haenel is among the César nominees for best actress for this film about a lesbian love, in competition last year at the Cannes Film Festival.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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