It was to be a great revolution.
After the storm that shook the Caesars in January and February, with an eventful ceremony and the resignation of the management, the institution had to change “everything”.
While its detractors had violently denounced its lack of democracy, transparency and parity, the Académie des Césars adopted its new statutes on July 9.
Monday, September 14, in the evening, took place the first stage of their implementation: the new general assembly was elected.
However, among its members, we find Alain Terzian, the former boss of the Caesar and… Roman Polanski.
The presence of the filmmaker, winner of the latest statuette for best director for "J'accuse", is already cringe.
Analysis of a reform that is both profound, but incomplete.
An elected board of directors and office
It was an important request of the "slingers".
Until now, the governing bodies of the Caesars were not elected: their members integrated these bodies mechanically (because they had received an Oscar, for example) or by being co-opted by members already present.
These principles were shattered with the new statutes.
From now on, the board of directors and the office will be elected by a general assembly made up of 182 members, themselves chosen by the 4,313 cinema professionals who vote each year to award the statuettes.
A new “almost” joint general assembly
Between September 7 and 14, the 4,313 voters were therefore called to vote to compose the general assembly in place for four years.
Between ten and thirty cinema professionals presented themselves in each of the 21 professional branches (corresponding to the 21 statuettes: direction, interpretation, production, special effects, make-up and hairstyle…).
In each category, between four and twenty-one members have been chosen and gender parity is generally respected.
“Globally”, because in addition to the 164 members appointed by this vote, 18 members of the former general assembly were added, who were renewed only because they expressed the wish.
However, among these 18 members, there are only two women.
In the end, out of the 182 representatives of the general assembly, there are therefore 84 women and 98 men.
The Polanski case
Roman Polanski therefore joined the new general assembly as a “historic” member of the general assembly.
The 47 professionals making up the old structure had until July 31 to say in writing whether they wished to remain a member of the general assembly.
Twenty-nine of them have therefore given up participating in the governance of the Caesars;
eighteen wrote to the Academy.
This was therefore the case for the Franco-Polish filmmaker, like Alain Terzian, Costa-Gavras or Régis Wargnier.
Recall that Polanski had taken justice after his exclusion from the Academy of Oscars.
At the end of August, a California court ruled that this exclusion was "founded" ...
This Tuesday morning, the filmmaker Andréa Bescond, very committed against sexual violence against children, expressed her anger on her Instagram account, quoting Polanski, accused of rape by several women: "We discover that historical members remain, including Roman Polanski .
NO!!
"The director of" Tickles "clarified that she would not participate in this" masquerade "if these" old statutes "did not change.
View this post on Instagram
@academiedescesar, we ask that only those present at the votes be nominated.
You want renewal, historic members don't have to stay in this new energy.
It is a masquerade in which we cannot participate.
Thank you for reacting, for changing these old statutes, otherwise, it will be without us.
A post shared by Andréa Bescond (@andrea_bescond) on Sep 14, 2020 at 11:57 pm PDT
A woman / man pair for the presidency
Who will succeed Alain Terzian, president of the Césars between 2003 and 2020?
After the election of the General Assembly of 182 members, the election of the Board of Directors will take place.
Upper stage of the "Caesar rocket", this body will be designated on September 29.
It will be made up of 21 female / male pairs, from the 21 professional chambers represented in the general assembly.
By September 27, the members of the general assembly who are candidates for the board of directors must therefore form joint pairs.
The 182 representatives of the general assembly will then choose 21 female / male “tickets”.
At the same time, the members of the GA can also stand - always in joint pairs - for the presidency and vice-presidency of the Césars.
A pair will be elected on September 29.
The new board of directors will then elect a secretary general, a treasurer and two project managers.
With the president and the vice-president, the latter will make up the office of the Césars, which will ensure the management of the Association.
When will the Césars 2021 take place?
The future board of directors will have to confirm the date. This is still set for February 26, 2021, but due to the Covid-19 health crisis and the closure of cinemas between March 14 and June 22, the evening could be postponed. The Oscars ceremony has already been postponed from February 28 to April 25, 2021. And the Golden Globes will not take place on January 5, but on February 28, 2021. "The 2020/2021 agenda will be available soon," specifies the site of the Caesars.
