Faced with sexual violence, the examination of conscience of French cinema institutions, at the National Assembly

Their word was expected. The Cannes Film Festival, the Académie des César, the Deauville American Cinema Festival, the Académie des Molières and the UniFrance organization were heard on Monday, December 2, at the Palais-Bourbon, as part of the committee of investigation into violence committed in the cinema, audiovisual, live performance, fashion and advertising sectors.

Requested by actress Judith Godrèche, figure of the #metoo movement in France, this parliamentary commission was created in May. With one objective: to shed light on sexual and gender-based violence in cultural professions; and bring out concrete proposals to combat them. After thirty-five hours of hearing and seventy professionals questioned, the commission was buried by the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9. A new working group was finally formed and the hearings resumed on November 5.

Before the deputies, on December 2, the representatives of these institutions detailed the measures taken to combat sexual and gender-based violence since the emergence of #metoo, in 2017. The president of the Cannes Festival, Iris Knobloch, discusses the creation of a listening unit and the appointment of harassment representatives following the revelations about American producer Harvey Weinstein. Patrick Sobelman, president of the Académie des César, and Ariane Toscan du Plantier, vice-president, review the systems put in place during the ceremony, such as the “failure to highlight persons convicted or indicted” (effective since 2023) or the distribution of awareness flyers.

But, everyone agrees, these prevention tools remain insufficient to fight against violence in cinema. The question of secrecy is openly discussed. “I am convinced that there remains an economic fear of testifying, of losing one’s job, of losing one’s financial meansand observed by Iris Knobloch. We must strengthen the listening cells and support for victims. The industry has made significant strides, but I believe we still have a ways to go. »

“Multiply the counter-powers”

After the inventory of their respective prevention policies, the deputy (Paris, Ecologist and social) Pouria Amirshahi moves the discussion to the collective responsibility of these institutions in the fight against sexual and gender-based violence: “It was in the world of cinema that #metoo began. You are the starting point of this revolution. You gave examples – the referents, the charters – so many things that need to be done (…)but, basically, at what moment did the big cinema family carry a big, united message, saying: it’s over, it won’t happen like that again? »

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