The Saturday cinema session turned into a tour de force.
In Caen, the preview screening of French director Xavier Beauvois' next film,
Albatros
, took an unexpected turn, late Saturday afternoon, when anti-vaccine protesters forced the doors of the Pathé des Banks of the Orne.
Despite the looting and ransacking of part of the entrance hall of the cinema, no serious injuries were to be deplored at the end of the accident.
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On tour in Normandy to promote the release, in the fall, of his new film, Xavier Beauvois saw his presentation interrupted by a group of people who forced their way inside the cinema, shortly after 5 p.m., triggering in the process the establishment fire alarm. Contained in the main hall, the demonstrators - around 200 according to
Ouest France -
assaulted the employees of the Pathé room, damaged furniture and stole sweets by loudly declaring their opposition to the health pass, essential since August 9 for access the cinema sessions.
"They were in the hall where we managed to contain them
," the director of the room told the regional daily.
They were screaming, they ended up setting off the fire alarm. ”
Xavier Beauvois furious
"Anti-vaccines invade the Pathé de Caen during my preview, physically molesting the staff and saying 'we are doing this for you" "
, Xavier Beauvois testified on his Twitter account, Saturday evening, before strongly criticizing aggression of demonstrators.
Go fuck yourself ... Covid collaborators, you are crass, bastards, shit. Fortunately there were cameras and we can prosecute these morons. "
According to the program for the Caen premiere, the director was to be accompanied on Saturday by part of his team - Marie-Julie Maille, Victor Belmondo, Geoffroy Sery, Laurent Macé, Olivier Pequery and Aurélien Lafosse - to lead a debate with the public after the screening of his
Albatross
.
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Evacuated from the theaters during the accident, the spectators were able to return to their seats and continue their sessions once the situation calmed down and the demonstrators dispersed, around 6 p.m.
This violent intrusion came at the end of a new day of mobilization against the health pass which brought together some 121,000 people across the country, including 19,000 in Paris according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior.
In Caen, the procession would have mobilized around a thousand demonstrators.
Next feature film from the director crowned in 2011 with a César for best film for
Men and Gods
,
Albatros
tells the torments of a brigade commander of the gendarmerie of Étretat (Jérémie Renier) whose life changes after having failed save a farmer who threatened to kill himself. Expected for November 3, the film is currently presented in preview in a selection of Norman theaters, in the region where it was filmed.