Polanski at the Césars: "I will not applaud a man accused of rape", indignant Schiappa

With 12 nominations for “J'accuse”, including one in the “best director” category, Roman Polanski is a favorite in the Caesar race. The world of cinema does not seem troubled by the latest case against Polanski. Last November, Valentine Monnier accused the 86-year-old director of having raped her in 1975. On the contrary, Roman Polanski, seems more than ever supported by his peers. What revolts Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State responsible for Equality between women and men and the Fight against discrimination.

Are you shocked by the 12 nominations won by Roman Polanski's “J'accuse”?

MARLÈ NE SCHIAPPA. I wonder ... And that's an understatement! There is a great ambiguity in French cinema. A few months ago, we all unanimously supported actress Adèle Haenel when she publicly denounced, with great courage, the abuses she suffered as a child. And today, just as Harvey Weinstein (editor's note: the American producer accused of rape) is being tried in New York, Roman Polanski is acclaimed. Clearly, French cinema has not finished its revolution and its awareness of the extent of sexual and gender-based violence. There is still an enormous work to be carried out in the world of cinema against the culture of rape ... It is not a question of ethics but of respect for women.

What if "J'accuse" was simply one of the five best French films of the year?

I do not disagree. I don't know if "J'accuse" is a good film. I have not seen it and I will not go to see it. I will not buy a movie ticket for this movie. Nor will I applaud a man accused of rape. We are often told that we have to separate man from work. And that we could celebrate a film without endorsing the actions of its author. But, there, it is also the man who is proposed to the reward as director and screenwriter. I am also regularly told that men have had their careers destroyed after accusations of rape. It's wrong! On the other hand, the doors of the professional world are closing for many women who report the sexual violence they have suffered, in all sectors of activity. I am thinking of the victims of sexual and gender-based violence.

Are you calling on voters not to vote for "I accuse"?

It is not the role of government. No more than I called for censorship and boycott, during the theatrical release of "J'accuse" like today. But I prefer to greet the 10 nominations for "Portrait of the young girl on fire" by Céline Sciamma, with in particular Adèle Haenel. I just wonder what will be the message sent by the voters of the Caesars during the ceremony…

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Would it be backtracking after the impact of the MeToo movement?

These appointments illustrate two visions of women. On the one hand, Céline Sciamma's film, which carries a feminist message for women's freedom. And on the other, the numerous appointments of Roman Polanski. But society as a whole is crossed by this subject. There is a part of the population - including men - who has made this feminist transition and who no longer supports that hundreds of thousands of sexual assaults take place every year in France. And another part of the population who opposes it with violence.

Should the rules of the Caesars be changed to ban actors or directors accused of rape or crime?

The important thing is that justice is done by the courts. We have made it easier to file complaints so that all women know that it is not normal for them to be abused or forced to have unwanted sex. They are rapes. The limitation period has also been increased to thirty years after the age of majority for rape of minors. And remember: even if the facts are prescribed for one of the victims, they may not be for others as is well told in "Grâce à Dieu" by François Ozon, also named to the Césars.

VIDEO. Polanski at the Césars: "We are not an instance of debate", says Alain Terzian