Judith Godrèche, spearhead of the Me Too movement in French cinema, deplores the “silence” of “people of power” in this environment

The actress Judith Godrèche deplored on Wednesday December 18 that she had never been contacted by “people of power” in the cinema since she accused the filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of rape.

“There is not a person from my past 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 I spoke“, regretted the 52-year-old actress before the commission of inquiry of French deputies into sexual violence in cinema.

According to the actress, “this silence says a lot“. “He also perhaps says: I’m afraid. He says: I don’t want to lose my place. He said: I too have to slalom (…) so as not to hit a pole and also be pushed to the back of the procession.”

At the start of 2024, Judith Godrèche sparked an explosion by accusing director Benoît Jacquot, 25 years her senior, of rape, with whom she had 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 from this past 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“, also declared Judith Godrèche. The actress, whose short film Me too had been screened at the last Cannes Film Festival, also said she hoped “be able to continue living“in the world of cinema but expressed his resignation.”This system crushes the resistance“, she said.

Judith Godrèche testified, Wednesday, December 18, 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 his relationship with Benoît Jacquot. Former boss of the Cinémathèque and ex-editor-in-chief of Cinema notebooksSerge Toubiana said he was not aware of this relationship.respondent“, before admitting that he was “Of course“informed, having received at the time the”couple” to dinner.

In front of the deputies, Judith Godrèche accused Serge Toubiana, who was close to the director Benoît Jacquot, of “having lied under oath“. “He knew, everyone knew, him better than anyone“, said the actress.