Sexual violence haunts French cinema more than ever.

On this Friday, February 23, all eyes are on the Olympia, in Paris, where the 49th César ceremony will be held in the evening, against a backdrop of freedom of speech around sexual violence in the 7th art.

Many are waiting for words from Judith Godrèche, who became a leading figure in French #MeToo after filing a complaint against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon for sexual and physical violence during her adolescence, which the latter deny.

“Whether I go to the Césars or not, we don’t care,” cut off the actress, two days before the ceremony, calling instead to “hear” the victims.

“Our community suffers in silence. Our young girls suffer in silence. And once again, once again, the government is silent, the politicians are silent, and the actors, the directors are silent.”

See also#MeToo of French cinema: after Judith Godrèche, the liberation of speech

To break this “silence”, the CGT will speak on the red carpet before the ceremony, scheduled for 8:45 p.m. It has also arranged to meet at 7 p.m. in front of the performance hall, for a gathering in which its general secretary will participate Sophie Binet.

The 50/50 collective, at the forefront of these struggles, will also be there.

In the room too, the question is likely to eclipse the prize race between the favorite "Anatomy of a Fall" and its competitors, like the tribute to the actress Micheline Presle, doyenne of French cinema, who died Wednesday in 101 years old.

Because, from the indictment for rape and sexual assault of Gérard Depardieu to the accusations made by Judith Godrèche, followed by other actresses, sexual violence torments French cinema.

Also read “When the cult of great artists collapses in France”: the Depardieu affair seen from abroad

On Thursday, Isild Le Besco, in turn, announced that she was "considering" filing a complaint against Jacques Doillon and Benoît Jacquot, denouncing a "destructive influence" and "violence".

And actor Aurélien Wiik launched the hashtag #MeTooGarçons on Instagram.

Jacques Doillon intends to file a complaint for “defamation” against Judith Godrèche.

Words from the president

The multiplication of these accusations feeds the suspicion that, among the filmmakers, actors and other professionals of the 7th art who will take place at the Olympia, some have turned a blind eye to this type of facts.

The words of the president of the ceremony, actress Valérie Lemercier, will be scrutinized.

And the line-up of stars who will follow one another to host the evening, from Dany Boon to Jean-Pascal Zadi via Juliette Binoche, Benoît Magimel and Bérénice Béjo, are expected around the corner.

Supposed to represent cinema in its diversity, the Césars have evolved since the cataclysmic 2020 edition where Roman Polanski, accused of rape, received the prize for best director for “J’accuse”, causing the departure of actress Adèle Haenel.

A prize-winning woman? 

The institution has been renewed.

A rule of "non-highlighting" of those accused by the courts "for acts of violence" has been instituted (no invitation to events linked to the Caesars, no presentation of statuettes on stage, nor speeches for the laureats).

A priori, none of the named people are the subject of accusations.

Actor Samuel Theis ("Anatomy of a Fall") is under investigation after a technician filed a rape complaint while he was filming a movie last summer, but he doesn't do it part.

“Anatomy of a Fall”, Palme d’Or at Cannes and nominated five times for the Oscars (on the evening of March 10 in Los Angeles, on the night of the 11th in France), garnered 11 nominations.

The trophy for best film could be between it and “The Animal Kingdom”, a fantastic film by Thomas Cailley (12 nominations).

At 45, its director Justine Triet could make César history by becoming the second woman to win the prize for best director, a quarter of a century after Tonie Marshall ("Vénus Beauté (institut)" in 2000).

Two other directors (out of five nominated) are in the running: Catherine Breillat (“Last Summer”) and Jeanne Herry (“I Will Always See Your Faces”).

As for performers, among the favorites, German actress Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”), Hafsia Herzi (“The Rapture”), Romain Duris (“The Animal Kingdom”) or the revelation of the year Raphaël Quenard , both in the running as best hope (for “Scrapyard Dog”) and as best actor (for “Yannick”).

Honorary Césars must be given to the actress and director Agnès Jaoui who publicly recounted being a victim of sexual violence in her childhood, and to the American-British filmmaker Christopher Nolan ("Oppenheimer").

With AFP

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