César: Roman Polanski crowned best director, several personalities leave the room

"Shame !" It is the cry of indignation uttered by actress Adèle Haenel before the presentation of the prize for best director, during the 45th Cesar ceremony, Friday, February 28. Affected by rape charges, filmmaker Roman Polanski received the award for best director for his film "J'accuse", angering several personalities who, in turn, chose to leave the Pleyel hall where the film was held ceremony.

Comedian Florence Foresti also made the choice not to return to the stage after the announcement of this coronation, thus abandoning her role as mistress of ceremony.

The film crew, absent

This award is the fifth that the Franco-Polish director receives. He had already received it for "Tess" in 1980, "The pianist" in 2003, "The Ghost Writer" in 2011 and "Venus with fur" in 2014. He was already the most Cesarized director in this category.

Symbol of a new impetus from #MeToo in France since she accused director Christophe Ruggia in November of "repeated touching" when she was a teenager, actress Adèle Haenel left the room after the announcement of this award .

"Shame", she launched from the start, followed by director Céline Sciamma and a few others, just before the César for best film was announced, the César's supreme award given to Ladj Ly's film "Les Misérables" , which tells the story of a police blunder in a sensitive city of Seine Saint-Denis.

Roman Polanski and the crew of his film, including the actor Jean Dujardin who plays the main role, were themselves absent from the ceremony, where they had decided not to go when feminists had organized a rally for protest against the twelve nominations received by his feature film, historic thriller on the Dreyfus Affair.

"Disgusted"

After the announcement of the César for best achievement, Florence Foresti, posted a message on Instagram, saying "disgusted". Several times during the ceremony, she had called the filmmaker "Atchoum" in allusion to the Snow White dwarf, refusing to name him.

"Best achievement at Polanski: the room is amazed. Silence, embarrassment. The Caesars of shame!" Tweeted the association Dare feminism.

# cesar2020 #polanski the Caesar of shame! #polanski best achievement: Adèle Haenel leaves the room followed by dozens of people. "To celebrate a rapist is to spit in the face of all the victims" https://t.co/2vJKrkaIAO

"I really like Roman Polanski, so I'm very happy for him. After that, not everyone agrees but long live freedom," acted the opposite actress Fanny Ardant, who received the Cesar Award for Best Supporting Actress.

"Rapist Polanski, guilty cinema, accomplice audience"

Before the ceremony began, hundreds of demonstrators - mainly women - had protested outside the Salle Pleyel, where the Césars were held. Some, equipped with smoke bombs, had tried to approach the Pleyel room by shouting "Lock Polanski", before being repulsed by the police.

Slogans hostile to the filmmaker like "Polanski rapist, guilty cinema, public accomplice", had been launched. On placards one could read: "Victims of Polanski, we believe you" or "Down with the patriarchy".

In total, the film "J'accuse" won three awards. Best director, best adaptation and best costumes, against four for "Les Misérables" - which in addition to the prize for the best film won those for best male hope, editing, and César by the public.

The "Portrait of the young girl on fire", a film by Céline Sciamma, for which Adèle Haenel was named, won the photo prize.

Very involved in the 50/50 collective for parity in cinema, Céline Sciamma could have created a historic moment by winning the César for best achievement, won only once by a woman, Tonie Marshall for "Venus Beauty (Institute)" , twenty years ago.

With AFP

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