"Shame": actresses and feminists castigate the reception given to Johnny Depp at the Cannes Film Festival

"Shame," they wrote. More than a hundred actresses and actors, including Julie Gayet, Géraldine Nakache and Laure Calamy, castigated the Cannes Film Festival in a forum published on Tuesday, May 16 by the daily Libération. They accuse the event of rolling out "the red carpet for men and women who assault", in reference to Johnny Depp, accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife Amber Heard, and the director Maïwenn, who revealed to have assaulted the journalist Edwy Plenel. "We all too often suffer sexual assault, moral harassment and racism within our workplaces," began the collective, which has also launched a petition.

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"When we have the courage to speak up or ask for help, we are too often told, 'Please shut up, for the life of the film.' Sometimes producers are even willing to buy our silence. These forms of violence are part of our daily lives, they even tried to make us believe that it was part of the job. (sic)" The signatories indicated that it was "time for this to change". The authors of the tribune were indeed indignant at the "political positions displayed by the Cannes Film Festival".

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In video, Cannes 2023: climbing the steps of May 16

Support for Adèle Haenel

"We refuse to be associated with the decisions taken in recent weeks," the text reads. By rolling out the red carpet for men and women who assault, the festival sends the message that in our country we can continue to practice violence with impunity, that violence is acceptable in places of creation. It's time for French cinema to stop supporting people who abuse their positions of power." A text in which the collective denounces the mechanism of "domination and silenciation" of this system.

" READ ALSO "I cancel you from my world": the radical farewell letter of Adèle Haenel to the cinema

He also supports the actress Adèle Haenel, who had formalized a week ago his stop from the cinema to denounce a "complacency" of the 7th art vis-à-vis sexual aggressors. The signatories deplore "the fact that this environment is toxic to the point of wanting to leave it completely". The actors, however, ended their platform with a message of hope, eager to build "a world in which we can finally all work without fear and offer films that will carry the enthusiasm of a generation that refuses relations of domination." Before concluding: "Our voice is just born."

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Complacency

The 76th edition of the world's largest film festival is marked by the return of Johnny Depp in the opening film Jeanne du Barry, after he was removed from Hollywood sets in recent years following accusations of domestic violence from his ex-girlfriend Amber Heard.

For its part, the organization Osez le Féminisme! called on Tuesday, May 16 to "boycott" the festival, accusing the cinema of "celebrating aggressors" and "participating in the trivialization of male violence," starring Johnny Depp for the official opening ceremony. "We are deeply indignant and refuse to remain silent in the face of the political positions displayed by the Cannes Film Festival," the collective argued in Libération. Six years after #MeToo, "French cinema continues to show its solidarity and complacency towards men accused of violence, whose careers and reputations remain preserved," denounces Osez le Féminisme! in a statement.

The climb of the steps on Tuesday, May 16, 2023

In pictures

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View slideshow25 photos

The return

While 13 women have denounced sexual assault and rape committed by Gérard Depardieu in the eyes of all on different shootings, and that he is indicted for rape since 2020, he chains films, including Umami which comes out this Wednesday, continues the association. For its part, the CGT criticized the Festival's choice to select Catherine Corsini's film, The Return, after suspicions of harassment and irregularities concerning an explicitly sexual but simulated scene, involving an actress under 16.

"Making this choice shows that moral, gender-based and sexual violence is not a subject for the Cannes Film Festival. Those who denounce them have no voice in the chapter of sacrosanct creation, "insists a statement. The CGT gave its support to the technicians and actors who "dared to tell the production of the filming conditions" and "unacceptable behavior of (the) director", hailing their "courage despite intimidation". Johnny Depp, for his part, was greeted by a seven-minute standing ovation after the screening of Jeanne du Barry.