In 2019, his film "Mektoub My Love: Intermezzo", which included very raw sex scenes, sparked controversy at the Cannes Film Festival.

Ophélie Bau, nominated for the César for her performance in the first part of "Mektoub My Love - Canto Uno" (2016), had climbed the steps but slipped away before the screening of the film.

The director, Palme d'Or in 2013 for "La vie d'Adèle", had not appeared in public since this episode and we did not know anything about the progress of this film, although he promised to modify the editing to remove shots that would interfere with its actress, as in its third part.

"They are filmed, they are editing, reassembling. I spend my time there, for all these years. I have done practically only that: editing, reassembling, trying... I hope the end of Mektoub soon “, explained the 61-year-old filmmaker during a “master-class” in front of several hundred spectators, at the Mediterranean cinema festival (Cinémed) in Montpellier, of which he is one of the guests of honor.

"I also write screenplays, but I'm not sure yet which one I'm going to tackle soon in preparation, casting, etc.," he added, suggesting that he would probably shoot again in this Occitanie region. where he "feels good".

Franco-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, during a "master-class" at the Cinemed festival, October 28, 2022 in Montpellier Pascal GUYOT AFP

Before and after this master-class, about twenty people demonstrated in front of the convention center to denounce the director's arrival, accusing him of "sexism" in his way of filming women and denouncing his working methods which would be similar to harassment.

"The work with actors and actresses sometimes goes wonderfully well, and then sometimes it can also go very badly," admitted the director, saying however that he prefers that the "linen is washed in the family".

Returning to the course of the screening of "Mektoub My Love: Intermezzo" at Cannes in 2019, he said that he "was not aware at the time of what happened" that evening: " I didn't know that the two actors most involved in the film had left, otherwise the screening would not have taken place," he said.

A few feminist activists then interrupted him from the ranks of the public, chanting "Here too, we get up and break", in reference to the sensational departure of Adèle Haenel during the César 2020 after a prize awarded to Roman Polanski.

Demonstration against the arrival of the Franco-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche, during the Cinemed festival, on October 28, 2022 in Montpellier Pascal GUYOT AFP

Invited to speak at the microphone, one of them denounced his arrival, noting in particular that he had been the subject of a complaint for sexual assault (Editor's note: closed in 2020).

"I think you are serving the cause you are supposed to defend," replied the filmmaker calmly.

"We fight as we want," replied the young woman.

"I believe that the films I make have spoken and that I do not need to make a speech on these films for (that one understands) that everything of which I am accused is properly stupid", then sighed the director.

© 2022 AFP