The crew of the film “Abbé Pierre: A Life of Combat” condemned the “crimes” committed by the cleric on Tuesday.
The production and artistic team of the film “L’abbé Pierre: Une vie de combats”, a biopic released at the end of 2023 with Benjamin Lavernhe in the title role, condemned on Tuesday the “crimes” committed by the cleric, accused by around twenty women of sexual violence.
“These crimes, which shed a completely new light on the fate of Abbé Pierre, were obviously unknown to us at the time we made this film, just as they were unknown to the French people,” said the film’s team, which had remained silent until now. “We condemn these crimes and wish to strongly express our full support for the many victims of Abbé Pierre,” it said in a statement.
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Lavernhe was “in love” with the character
Abbé Pierre, who died in 2007, is accused by around twenty women, some of them minors at the time, of sexual violence that for some could amount to rape. Since their revelation this summer by the Egae firm, the question of the silence of institutions has been central. The film directed by Frédéric Tellier attracted more than 800,000 spectators in theaters. It was also presented at the Cannes Film Festival in spring 2023.
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This role had been particularly striking for Benjamin Lavernhe, one of the most sought-after actors in French cinema, who said he had “fallen in love” with the character: “He is a revolutionary, a man on the move who leads crowds.” “There is the beret, the cane, the silhouette, but the truth is not necessarily there. […] It was necessary to desacralize him, to discover his doubts and his neuroses.