Judith Godrèche deplores the “silence” of the “people of power” in the cinema. The actress, who has become one of the voices of the #MeToo movement in France, spoke on Wednesday, December 18, before the National Assembly's commission of inquiry into violence committed in the cinema and audiovisual sectors , live entertainment, fashion and advertising. At the start of the year, she herself called for the creation of this body. The work of this commission, which began in the spring and was interrupted by the dissolution, resumed in the fall. Dozens of industry professionals, actresses and journalists were interviewed.
Sara Forestier accuses Nicolas Duvauchelle of having slapped her
Heard by the deputies on November 7, Sara Forestier claims to have been “slapped” by an actor. Since then, the twice Caesarized actress has explicitly blamed Nicolas Duvauchelle – who refutes these assertions – accusing him in early December in an interview with Mediapart of having engaged in this behavior in 2017 during the filming of Good man by Marion Vernoux.
Before the parliamentary commission of inquiry, the actress reported having been hospitalized, during the preparation of the film, for serious internal bleeding linked to an ectopic pregnancy. Filming is delayed “about ten days”which “piss off” the actor, according to the story of Sara Forestier. “At the end of the third day of filming, for a trifle”the two actors do not “don’t understand” and Nicolas Duvauchelle “speak badly”. The actress then goes to her dressing room to try to calm the situation. “He’s not in the mood to talk.”she tells the deputies. “It annoys him and he says to me: 'Get out of the way, push yourself or I'll slap you.'”
“I tell him: 'No, you don't threaten me and then you don't scare me.' He climbs the towers, he slaps me”continues the actress. Sara Forestier then says that the film teams tried “of [l]'prevent going to the police station'. The actress accuses in particular the director Marion Vernoux of having “blackmailed” and having done it “to feel guilty”.
“We sweep the dust under the rug and the victim has to take it.”
Sara Foresterbefore the parliamentary commission of inquiry
Sara Forestier explains having left the set and having been on sick leave: “Mon The inflammation had started again and I absolutely had to rest, otherwise I risked not being able to have children again.” She denounces the “pression” of “production” : “I have become the enemy, the one who endangers the film, the money of this film.” Very moved, the actress specifies that an article “lie” appeared in the “presse people” a few days later, accusing him of slapping the actor.
“After that, how can I speak? How can I explain that it was me who received this slap? Because I received this slap. They succeeded in silencing me.”
Sara Foresterbefore the parliamentary commission of inquiry
Sara Forestier finally files a complaint in 2023. An investigation is opened by the Paris prosecutor's office. On the social network “never slapped” Sara Forestier, calling the actress “mythomaniac” and of “false victim”.
Nina Meurisse recounts filming a rape scene at age 10
Heard by the commission of inquiry Monday December 16, the actress Nina Meurisse, recently starring in the series Fever and the movie The Rapturelooked back on her first acting experience at the age of 10. According to her, the director of the film (who is not mentioned during the hearing) does not want her to meet beforehand the actor with whom she must play a rape scene. “I don’t understand why, but apparently it will be better for the stage”she remembers. In front of the deputies, she describes this sequence that she had to shoot “several times” with a “young actor” Who “court” towards her, who “jump on it”his “takes the chest” and try to “raise” in the robe.
“I’m ten years old, I’ve never even kissed a boy, I’m paralyzed.”
Nina Meurissebefore the parliamentary commission of inquiry
“At the end of the scene, the young girl who has taken care of us since the beginning of filming takes me to see the chicks that were born on the farm next door to take my mind off things”traces Nina Meurisse. “I remember as if it were yesterday saying to myself: 'But do you think you're going to make me forget that with chicks?'”
The actress also talks about filming a flogging scene. In full “dark night”in a pond, the very young actress is ordered to “hit the back” with a stick. “I do it, without much strength at first, which annoys the director, who shouts at me to do it louder, louder, louder”she remembers.
“The more my rage against her mounts, the more I hit myself with incredible violence.”
Nina Meurissebefore the parliamentary commission of inquiry
“After a time that seemed like an eternity to me”, the crew intervenes and threatens to stop filming. “The scene stops, but the horror is inside me”testifies Nina Meurisse. “It will remain a non-subject throughout the filming. There will be no excuses, it will be a scene like any other.”
Anna Mouglalis returns to an interview with Gérard Miller
Heard on the same day as Nina Meurisse, Anna Mouglalis recalls that sexual and gender-based violence in cinema can occur during the casting phases. “Generally, we get the role when the director is attractedexplains the actress. But we didn't come to seduce him: we came to play.” The actress of the series Black Baron tells the deputies about the castings where he is asked to “sliding in latex outfits” or even“a 50 year old actor” Who “sink his head” in her lower abdomen “holding by the hips”.
Anna Mouglalis then discusses the “quite crazy situations” experienced during promotional tours. On the occasion of the release of the film Thanks for the chocolate by Claude Chabrol in 2000, he was asked “to be dressed in a chocolate dress in a chocolate salon” in the idea that “THE visitors” can “help yourself until [la] strip”. She says she refused, but believes that actresses do not always feel in a position to be able to decline this type of proposal.
“When you’re a young actress, you think you can’t refuse anything.”
Anna Mouglalisbefore the deputies gathered in committee of inquiry
Anna Mouglalis has finally returned to the accusations of sexual violence against Gérard Miller. In two surveys published by Mediapart and the magazine Elledozens of women have accused the psychoanalyst of rape and sexual assault, particularly under hypnosis. Several complaints have been filed against Gérard Miller, who denies these allegations, and an investigation has been opened by the Paris prosecutor's office.
Anna Mouglalis states that in 1997, during her “premiere film”she has “was summoned by production” at the home of the psychoanalyst, screenwriter on this project. “It’s normal to have confidence when you are sent by production to a screenwriter, when you want to play in a film. All that should be very normal”she insists. During this meeting, the actress assures that Gérard Miller offered her a hypnosis session, which she declined. “Il [a commencé] to tense up and become a little aggressive”according to Anna Mouglalis, who is then “part” saying to yourself “he’s just an asshole.” “At the time, I didn’t talk to the director or the producer about it, I should have”she judges today.
Judith Godrèche moves deputies with her story
“I try to sail as long as I can without sinking.” Before the commission of inquiry, Judith Godrèche testifies to her “new life” since she spoke out about her controlling relationship with Benoît Jacquot, 25 years her senior, when she was 14. The director, who disputes the facts, was indicted in July for rape of actresses Julia Roy and Isild Le Besco. Judith Godrèche also filed a complaint for rape against the filmmaker Jacques Doillon. The latter, also the subject of three other complaints, was placed under the status of assisted witness on December 6.
From, “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” , deplores the actress in front of the deputies.
“Thank you Judith Godrèche for this poignant moment”reacts centrist rapporteur Erwan Balanant, before bursting into tears. “This commission of inquiry is not easy every day and I apologize for that”then continues the elected official from Finistère. “We are all upset, each in turn”adds the rebellious MP Sarah Legrain, her voice trembling, in the face of these “harsh testimonies”.
The president of the commission of inquiry, Sandrine Rousseau, also expresses her “emotion” faced with these stories which “experience”. “I find that what makes us reach our emotional limits is also the fear that we feel through feverish testimonies”shares the environmentalist MP. “All the women who came here to testify, the children (…), all were trembling as they spoke”reports Sandrine Rousseau, who ensures that among “those who hold the system”, “I haven’t seen a man tremble here”.
