French cinema was in the spotlight on Friday evening on the stage of the Olympia, during the 46th edition of the César presented by Marina Foïs.
A ceremony that is both artistic and political.
Almost all of the actors and directors who took to the stage called on the executive to reopen cinemas and other cultural venues.
The 46th Cesar ceremony was held on Friday evening at the Olympia, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, after more than four months of theaters being closed.
The artists who have succeeded on stage have attacked the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot head-on.
The evening then turned into a real political fight for the reopening of cultural venues.
Corinne Masiero nude on stage
The image of this 46th César ceremony will undoubtedly remain that of Corinne Masiero, naked on the stage of the Olympia to defend the intermittents of the show.
Coming to present the prize for the best costume, the famous Captain Marleau arrived disguised as a donkey, before releasing to Marina Foïs, the mistress of ceremonies: "So I have another costume, if you don't like this one."
Dropping her disguise, the actress found herself in a bloody red dress before presenting her last outfit: she, completely naked, used tampons in earrings and the inscription "No culture, no future" on the body.
"Now we're like that, naked and underwater," she added, returning to the desk.
"No culture, no future."
Corinne Masiero's (dis) cheeky intervention in support of intermittent workers.
# César2021pic.twitter.com / Uhd8ibEfgj
- CANAL + (@canalplus) March 12, 2021
Marina Foïs' plea
Marina Foïs, for her part, also raised the tone from her opening speech.
She went on stage with a bag containing dog poop in her hand.
"Why do Caesars? We thought about it, we did not find it and that's why we said to ourselves that it was essential", she launched impertinently.
The actress delivered a real plea for the reopening of cinemas.
"As [the coronavirus] mainly kills the old, we locked up the young, closed cinemas, theaters, museums and banned concerts. On the other hand, we opened the churches because we are a secular country, so that the old , who had the right to leave the nursing home at Christmas, go to mass. "
Before adding: "and like, thank God, the theaters were closed, there was less flow of people so we had to organize big flows in stores and malls so that we could afford Christmas stuff we already have. Stuff we can resell the next day on Ebay because Amazon is fed up, it pollutes. All this to support the nursing staff and so that there are people in real life because, what could be sadder than an empty bed? "
"We can't wait to see you!"
The masterful speech of @foismarina, mistress of ceremony, at the opening of # César2021.
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- CANAL + (@canalplus) March 12, 2021
"Let us quench our thirst for meaning"
As the evening went on, the artists called for the reopening of the rooms.
"My children can go to Zara and not to the cinema… It is incomprehensible! We need a political will for the cinema to continue to evolve, you must bear this responsibility as a minister", declared, to the address of Roselyne Bachelot, Stéphane Demoustier by receiving the César for best adaptation for
La fille au bracelet
.
The speech of the actress Laure Calamy was even more moving.
"Let us quench our thirst for meaning, let us exult in front of works of art, let us exile ourselves into our imaginations, let us hear what makes us human," pleaded, the voice trembling. , the one who was crowned best actress.
"It's not essential but it's really fun."
The emotion of Laure Calamy, # César2021 for Best Actress ("Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes").
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- CANAL + (@canalplus) March 12, 2021
On Friday, the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot, said he understood the anger of the artists.
She also mentioned a reopening of cultural venues in the second quarter of 2021. "We are working with the industry to build the conditions for reopening rooms," she said.
Fathia Youssouf and Jean-Pascal Zadi, top prospects
Other fights were highlighted on Friday evening.
Jean-Pascal Zadi, best male hope for his role in his own film
Simply Black
, wanted to denounce the police violence.
"I want to talk about Adama Traoré, I want to talk about Michel Zecler," he said in an angry voice.
The actor also spoke more generally of the problem of racism.
"I wonder if certain humanities count when we see in the West Indies the use of chlordecone, a pesticide banned in France."
Racism was widely denounced last year by actress Aïssa Maïga in a very eventful ceremony. This year, two black actors won the César for best prospects: in addition to Jean-Pascal Zadi, Fathia Youssouf also left with the precious award for
Mignonnes
.