Paris (AFP)

A first response to the accusations of sexism, self-esteem and opacity: five months after an unprecedented crisis, the Académie des César adopted a profound overhaul of its functioning, emphasizing internal democracy and parity men women.

At the end of a closed meeting in the premises of the National Center for Cinematography (CNC), the administrators of the Academy voted for a profound reform of the statutes.

They had resigned en bloc in mid-February after several weeks of open crisis, precipitating an unprecedented crisis in French cinema.

Up to now opaque and based on cooptation, the operation of the Caesars has been greatly simplified. The 4,313 members of the Academy, these personalities and professionals of the 7th art who award the most coveted awards of French cinema, will now be able to introduce themselves and elect for four years their representatives in the association that organizes the ceremony.

These new elected officials will join the French professionals who won an Oscar, who were already ex-officio members, as well as other former members who will request, by the end of July, to keep their seats.

These elections, crucial for turning the page on an institution accused of opacity and self-esteem by many personalities of the 7th art, should take place before the beginning of September.

- A joint "tandem" at the head -

The reform also emphasizes equality between men and women, the crisis having thrown a harsh light on the place reserved for women in French cinema. Two weeks after the collective resignation of the administrators, the 45th César ceremony had indeed been marked by feminist demonstrations and the shattering departure of actress Adèle Haenel, when Roman Polanski, targeted by accusations of rape, was attributed in his absence the prize for the best achievement.

The new statutes include with a flagship measure: the presidency of the Cesars will henceforth be ensured by a "tandem" of both sexes.

"Full parity" must also be strictly observed in the general assembly of the association, its board of directors and its office.

All for two-year terms, renewable once. The former president with controversial governance, producer Alain Terzian, left with the crisis, had spent 17 years at the helm.

- Save the institution -

When these new bodies are set up, the new leaders will have to tackle a second task: to strengthen "the parity, the diversity and the representativeness" of the Academy of Caesar itself, quickly enough to be able to organize the edition 2021.

With this reform, carried out under the aegis of the National Center of Cinematography, which does not finance by the Césars but had been called to the rescue in the face of the gravity of the crisis, the Academy reached a first milestone. With the objective of saving the institution, which appeared to be out of step with the issues that shake the cinema, in France and beyond.

This vote "was a very important step" in a process "which is running its course," commented to AFP one of the outgoing directors, the former president of the Cannes Film Festival, Gilles Jacob, 90, who was able to vote by proxy. "We are on the right track, and the imperative is that the Caesars continue in the best possible conditions," he added.

Questioned by AFP, the director Audrey Estrougo, 37, member of the collective 50/50 launched to demand "concrete measures" against sexual violence and for the distribution of power between the sexes in the cinema, welcomed "a good start ".

"It is good that the collective was able to impose itself. But after that, facts and mentalities must follow, it is the most complicated," she added.

© 2020 AFP