Paris (AFP)

The Society of Film Directors (SRF), one of the leading French filmmakers, on Friday called for the States-General on issues of sexual abuse and harassment in the 7th Art, following recent speeches by Adele Haenel and Valentine Monnier.

In the context of the Assises for Parity, Equality and Diversity in Cinema and Audiovisual, which were held Thursday in Paris, the SRF, "by the voice of Rebecca Zlotowski, member of the Board of Directors of the SRF and co-creator of the 50/50 Collective ", has called, together with other organizations of authors and the collective 50/50, to States General on the issues of sexual abuse and harassment in our industry, in the goal of achieving a charter, a common code of conduct, and specific measures, "she said in a statement.

During the Assises, during which the Minister of Culture Franck Riester announced measures to fight against sexual harassment, the director Rebecca Zlotowski called in a speech to "States General to the CNC on these subjects of abuse of power, on the plateaux and in the film industry, States-General, which could also lead to a charter for example, also lead to a common ethics, they also lead to a toolbox ".

"Pending judicial time often too long, let's act now, on the political field," said the SRF.

The organization, which has some 300 members - including Catherine Corsini, Jacques Audiard and Céline Sciamma - announced on November 4 that it had launched the "cancellation procedure" of its members by director Christophe Ruggia, accused of "touching" and " sexual harassment "by the actress Adèle Haenel when she was 12 to 15 years old.

Another organization of filmmakers, the ARP (Civil Society of Authors, Directors and Producers), of which Roman Polanski is a member, will meet on Monday with its board of directors to discuss the situation of the French-Polish director, who is facing a new rape charge from photographer Valentine Monnier.

She claimed to have been beaten and raped by the filmmaker in 1975 in Switzerland when she was eighteen.

This meeting should propose "that, henceforth, any member sentenced by the courts for sexual offenses be excluded and that any member indicted for the same reason be suspended".

© 2019 AFP