French cinema | Judith Godrèche deplores the “silence” of “people of power”

(Paris) Actress Judith Godrèche, spearhead of #metoo in France, deplored on Wednesday having never been contacted by “people of power” in the cinema since she accused filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques of rape Doillon.

“There is not a person […] who has an established place in cinema society – therefore, in quotes, power –, there is not a person of power who has written to me since I spoke,” regretted the actress of 52 years before the commission of inquiry of French deputies on sexual violence in cinema.

According to M^me Godrèche, “this silence says a lot”. “He may also say: ‘I’m afraid.’ He says: “I don’t want to lose my place”. He says: “I too have to slalom […] so as not to get hit by a pole and also be pushed to the back of the procession.”

At the start of the year, Judith Godrèche sparked an explosion by accusing director Benoît Jacquot, 25 years her senior, of rape, with whom she had a relationship when she was 14. She made similar accusations against Jacques Doillon. Investigations are ongoing and both filmmakers dispute these allegations.

Since these positions, “the only people who have reached out to me are people who […] are, as they say, anonymous, in any case who do not have the power or who have nothing to lose […]who are no longer in this environment,” said M^me Godrèche.

M^me Godrèche, whose short film Me too had been screened at the last Cannes Film Festival, also said that she hoped “to be able to continue living” in the cinema world, but expressed her resignation. “This system is crushing the resistance,” she said.

Judith Godrèche testified on Wednesday in reaction to the statements the day before by Serge Toubiana, an influential personality in French cinema, affirming before this same commission that he was unaware of her relationship with Benoit Jacquot.

Former boss of the Cinémathèque and ex-editor-in-chief of Cinema notebooksMr. Toubiana said he was not aware of this “intimate” relationship, before admitting that he was “of course” informed of it, having hosted the “couple” for dinner at the time.

Facing the deputies, M^me Godrèche accused Mr. Toubiana, who was close to Mr. Jacquot, of “lying under oath”. “He knew, everyone knew, him better than anyone,” she said.