Canal +: six great French sportsmen talk about their homosexuality in a documentary

INTERVIEW

"We have to talk"

.

This is the strong formula chosen by Canal + as the title of the event documentary that the channel broadcasts on Saturday evening.

This film gives the floor to six sportsmen still in activity, three men and three women.

They speak for the first time about their homosexuality in front of the camera.

An unprecedented word from Olympic medalists or champions who have distinguished themselves in six disciplines: skating, basketball, judo, fencing, rugby and swimming.

These six professional athletes thought for a long time before agreeing to speak.

And convincing them was not easy.

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"They hesitated because the taboo is still strong, especially among boys. You should know that before this documentary, among active professional athletes, only one boy spoke of his homosexuality during his career. The taboo is strong ", insists Arnaud Bonnin, one of the co-directors of the documentary.

"They've thought about it, because they know it's not at all trivial. There can be criticisms, repercussions on their careers. And they don't want to be disturbed either, some will do. the Olympics this summer. Once they understood that the message was stronger than the risk, they said banco. "

"I hope our documentary will open doors"

All of the athletes have asked to keep their identities a secret until the film is released. They feared, in particular that the press would seize it to reduce their remarks and write articles which would be satisfied to say "that such or such athlete has come out", a term which they refuse to use. What the athletes who testify want is that their message be heard in full, and without miserability.

"We didn't want something black, because their history is not black. There are difficulties, sometimes rejections during their adolescence, times when it was not well received in the world of sport", recognizes Arnaud Bonnin. "But the general rhetoric is optimistic, positive, and hopeful. I hope it will open doors and free some." Arnaud Bonnin co-directed the documentary 

with Lyes Houhou. Their film is broadcast on Canal + on Saturday evening at 11 p.m.