Franco-Polish director Roman Polanski will not come to the 45th Cesar ceremony on Friday, when feminists have planned to demonstrate against the 12 nominations for his film J'accuse , he announced Thursday in a text sent to the AFP.
"It is therefore with regret that I take this decision, that of not facing a self-proclaimed opinion tribunal ready to trample on the principles of the rule of law so that the irrational triumphs again without sharing", indicates it in this statement.
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"Activists threaten me with public lynching"
"The course of the evening is known in advance. Activists are already threatening me with a public lynching. Some are announcing demonstrations in front of the Salle Pleyel. Others plan to make it a platform for fighting against decried governance. This promises to look more like a symposium than a cinema party supposed to reward its greatest talents, "he continues.
Explaining in particular that he must "protect his family, his wife and his children, who are subjected to insults and affronts", he affirms that it is "with regret that (he) makes this decision, that of not confronting a self-proclaimed opinion tribunal ready to trample on the principles of the rule of law so that the irrational triumphs again without sharing. "
A ceremony under tension
The 45th ceremony of the Caesars promises to be held on Friday after the resignation of the management of the Academy, accused of opacity and self-esteem, and while feminists have called to demonstrate against the 12 appointments of " J'accuse ", came out on top in the first round of voting with Ladj Ly's film on the Les Misérables suburbs.
Indignant, several feminist associations, who no longer accept as a part of public opinion that the Franco-Polish filmmaker receives honors - while he has been targeted since November by a new accusation of rape and still prosecuted by the American justice system -, called to demonstrate Friday at 6 p.m. in front of the Salle Pleyel, where the ceremony will be held from 9 p.m. The feminist collective #NousToutes announced in particular that it would organize a happening during which it would award filmmakers "other prizes - less glorious -, so that the curtain rises on the protection that the world of arts and cinema".