Is French cinema, long lagging behind on issues of sexual violence, definitely changing?
This month of February could constitute a turning point, in light of the speeches of Judith Godrèche at the Césars this Friday 23 and of the actor Aurélien Wiik, the day before, on his Instagram account.
The latter thus recounted having been abused “from the age of 11 to the age of 15, by [his] agent”, then insisted on urging those who experienced similar misadventures to speak out, under the newly created hashtag #MeTooBoys.
The sign of a change of era?
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The keys to supporting women in their working lives
The testimony of Aurélien Wiik Screenshot Instagram /aurelien_wiik
Witness
Accustomed to supporting roles in cinema (
Cache Cash
,
Arsène Lupin
) and more recently in TV films, Aurélien Wiik, thanks to an Instagram story, is making the news at the end of February.
Published on the eve of the great mass of French cinema, the Césars, he recounts his ordeal, suffered when he was still a child: “I was 11 years old.
From when I was 11 to when I was 15.
I was abused by my agent and others in my circle.
I complained when I was 16 because he was doing it to others,” says the actor in the series
Munch
.
Accompanied by a photo of him at this age, mustache drawn in pencil, his testimony then becomes more precise, evoking pell-mell "attacks", "harassment" and "attempted rape"
.
At the trial, "we were several kids", he continues, before explaining that his agent was sentenced to five years in prison: "I sent him to prison [...] It's possible".
A decision that is imperative for the actor, for whom “recognition of victim status is important [...] It helps to rebuild oneself”.
Megaphone
Becoming more offensive, Aurélien Wiik sees this moment as that of a paradigm shift, capable of moving previously largely blurred lines: “The boys of cinema are waking up,” he announces.
As for cinema personalities abusing their power, he warns them that the time of impunity is over: “Your turn will come.
You know who you are.
Recounting a well-established system, made up of “trapped dinners organized by old people with several minors, or even false exchanges of “favors” for roles, the 43-year-old actor intends to scrap to put down this type of practice , until now completely standardized.
He therefore offers the victims of these attackers, masters of their influence, to testify in turn under the hashtag #MeTooGarçons.
Ambassador, he above all wants to bring people together: “I spoke out on the networks to encourage others to report their stories,” he explained to Le
Parisien
this Thursday, February 22.
To echo this fight, casting director Stéphane Gaillard wanted to create an email address, metooacteur@gmail.com.
Beneficial in many respects, these positions have already had a strong impact, particularly on X where more than 15,000 testimonies have been recorded, signed with the now widespread hashtag #MeTooGarçons.
Such a resonance, that Andy Kerbrat, LFI deputy for Loire-Atlantique, expressed himself on social networks: “We cannot recover from having been a victim, but we can repair ourselves, slowly, and even become a deputy.
I was abused when I was 3 to 4 years old by a predator, who has since died without any possibility of justice,” then goes on to detail: “But, from one victim to the others, it will get better.
People believe you and love you (which I did thanks to my parents).
You will achieve great things so keep expressing yourself.
If you can, go to court.
We don't heal, but we repair ourselves.
Together.
#MeTooboys.”
A hashtag, therefore, to set a precedent.