The 2024 Cannes Film Festival is still going full steam, with deals and screenings galore. We’ve got the first responses to some highly anticipated projects including the new films from Emma Stone and Nicolas Cage, a filmmaker weighing in on the Harvey Weinstein conviction reversal and a studio going all in on a single filmmaker.
“Kinds of Kindness” Confounds
Yorgos Lanthimos, just a few months since his bizarre, female-empowerment madcap science fiction movie “Poor Things” scooped up four Oscars (including Best Actress for Emma Stone), debuted his new film, “Kinds of Kindness.”
The movie reunites the filmmaker with his frequent writing partner, Efthimis Filippo, and his muse, Emma Stone. The movie is not a straightforward narrative but an anthology film comprised of three loosely connected storylines, where the actors play different characters in each segment. (This is Searchlight’s big summer movie; it’s going up against the new “Quiet Place” prequel.
“Kinds of Kindness” Confounds
Yorgos Lanthimos, just a few months since his bizarre, female-empowerment madcap science fiction movie “Poor Things” scooped up four Oscars (including Best Actress for Emma Stone), debuted his new film, “Kinds of Kindness.”
The movie reunites the filmmaker with his frequent writing partner, Efthimis Filippo, and his muse, Emma Stone. The movie is not a straightforward narrative but an anthology film comprised of three loosely connected storylines, where the actors play different characters in each segment. (This is Searchlight’s big summer movie; it’s going up against the new “Quiet Place” prequel.
- 5/18/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
French cinema’s Judith Godrèche, a former child star-turned-filmmaker and prominent #MeToo activist, weighed in during Cannes Day 4 on the April 25 reversal of Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction in New York, slamming it as “an absolute nightmare.”
Speaking with TheWrap founder and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman on Thursday as part of TheWrap Conversations at the Brand Innovators Salon D’Affaires, Godrèche expressed sympathy for the women who may have to testify again if a new trial is held.
“It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. I can’t even imagine,” Godrèche said. “Somehow people [like] him are winning. There is enough pain and hurt that it should not be allowed. It’s insane when you think about it. Listen, I may have to face my abusers [one day]. You have to be so brave to do this.”
She added: “I wondered how [Weinstein] had so much money to keep paying for lawyers. I thought, ‘Wow,...
Speaking with TheWrap founder and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman on Thursday as part of TheWrap Conversations at the Brand Innovators Salon D’Affaires, Godrèche expressed sympathy for the women who may have to testify again if a new trial is held.
“It’s a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. I can’t even imagine,” Godrèche said. “Somehow people [like] him are winning. There is enough pain and hurt that it should not be allowed. It’s insane when you think about it. Listen, I may have to face my abusers [one day]. You have to be so brave to do this.”
She added: “I wondered how [Weinstein] had so much money to keep paying for lawyers. I thought, ‘Wow,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
On the second night of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Judith Godrèche told the mostly female crowd assembled on a beach next to the Palais, “This film is for you!” The French actor-director was presenting her short “Moi Aussi,” a last-minute addition to the festival lineup that covers sexual misconduct in the French film industry. Godrèche has become something of an ambassador to the fledgling movement after she came forward in February with claims that she was preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, allegations they both deny. The beach screening kicked off what many hope will be a sweeping French #MeToo reckoning.
But the festival and its accompanying film market also will feature several men who have been the subject of #MeToo allegations that range from sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence. The awkward presence of such actors as Shia Labeouf and James Franco,...
But the festival and its accompanying film market also will feature several men who have been the subject of #MeToo allegations that range from sexual harassment, sexual assault and domestic violence. The awkward presence of such actors as Shia Labeouf and James Franco,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Léa Seydoux addressed France’s growing #MeToo movement at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Quentin Dupieux’s comedy “The Second Act,” which opened the fest on Tuesday night.
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Judith Godrèche has been a regular on the Cannes red carpet for close to 30 years for her performances in films such as Patrice Leconte’s 1996 Palme d’Or contender Ridicule and Un Certain Regard cycling drama The Climb in 2019.
The popular French actress-turned-director touches down this edition with a work of her own: the short film Moi Aussi.
Shot under the radar in Paris in March and gathering 1,000 victims of sexual abuse, the work world premieres as part of the opening ceremony of Cannes Un Certain Regard on Wednesday.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024 In Photos: Opening Ceremony & ‘The Second Act’ World Premiere
There is no bigger disruptive force in French cinema right now than Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of triggering a new era of #MeToo in France, a country that has been notoriously slow to tackle sexism, sexual violence and harassment.
The short film follows in the...
The popular French actress-turned-director touches down this edition with a work of her own: the short film Moi Aussi.
Shot under the radar in Paris in March and gathering 1,000 victims of sexual abuse, the work world premieres as part of the opening ceremony of Cannes Un Certain Regard on Wednesday.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024 In Photos: Opening Ceremony & ‘The Second Act’ World Premiere
There is no bigger disruptive force in French cinema right now than Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of triggering a new era of #MeToo in France, a country that has been notoriously slow to tackle sexism, sexual violence and harassment.
The short film follows in the...
- 5/15/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
With rumors of a bombshell #MeToo report about the French cinema industry knocking on the door of the Cannes Film Festival, this year’s jury president Greta Gerwig on Tuesday acknowledged the wave that’s out there in a way that festival boss Thierry Frémaux didn’t want to address at his press conference the day before.
“I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and changing things for the better is only good,” said the Barbie filmmaker at a press conference introducing the jury just hours before the festival’s opening night begins. “I’ve seen substantial changes in the American film community; I think it’s important to expand the conversation.”
“It’s only moving things in the correct direction, keeping those lines of communication open,” said Gerwig about a press member’s query as to whether the current #MeToo climate is France is impacting the festival.
“I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and changing things for the better is only good,” said the Barbie filmmaker at a press conference introducing the jury just hours before the festival’s opening night begins. “I’ve seen substantial changes in the American film community; I think it’s important to expand the conversation.”
“It’s only moving things in the correct direction, keeping those lines of communication open,” said Gerwig about a press member’s query as to whether the current #MeToo climate is France is impacting the festival.
- 5/14/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
As a #MeToo wave looked to rock the 77th Cannes Film Festival with rumors swirling that filmmakers with films at the event would be tagged, Thierry Frémaux emphasized his event isn’t about polemics, rather the picture that’s on the screen. If there are controversies during Cannes “we try to avoid them” he said today during an afternoon presser.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Frémaux said. “So if there are other polemics, it doesn’t concern us.”
“It’s about the movies and whether they deserve or not, in aesthetic or artistic terms, to be there,” Frémaux said. “There is no ideology guiding the selection committee.”
“We would like to have a festival without polemics,...
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Frémaux said. “So if there are other polemics, it doesn’t concern us.”
“It’s about the movies and whether they deserve or not, in aesthetic or artistic terms, to be there,” Frémaux said. “There is no ideology guiding the selection committee.”
“We would like to have a festival without polemics,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Thierry Fremaux addressed France’s #MeToo reckoning during a press conference on the eve of this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Following rumors that the French outlet Mediapart is putting together a bombshell report to publish during Cannes with several new #MeToo allegations, there has been much speculation regarding how it will impact the festival.
Alluding to the massive backlash last year over the selection of Maiwenn’s Johnny Depp movie “Jeanne du Barry” on opening night, Fremaux suggested he and Cannes president Iris Knobloch ensured the 77th edition wouldn’t include any obvious red flags, and said the ongoing “polemics” had nothing to do with the festival.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Fremaux said.
Following rumors that the French outlet Mediapart is putting together a bombshell report to publish during Cannes with several new #MeToo allegations, there has been much speculation regarding how it will impact the festival.
Alluding to the massive backlash last year over the selection of Maiwenn’s Johnny Depp movie “Jeanne du Barry” on opening night, Fremaux suggested he and Cannes president Iris Knobloch ensured the 77th edition wouldn’t include any obvious red flags, and said the ongoing “polemics” had nothing to do with the festival.
“Last year, as you know, we had a few polemics, and we realized it, and so this year we decided to host a festival without polemics to make sure that the main interest for us all to be here is cinema,” Fremaux said.
- 5/13/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
by Eric Blume
A young Magimel in Benoît Jacquot's A Single Girl (1995).
This weekend, we’re celebrating one of French cinema’s greatest actors, Benoît Magimel, who turns 50 today.
Magimel exploded upon the industry in the mid 1990s, making a string of pictures right after his 21st birthday that involved collaborations with several big names. Benoît Jacquot used his broad, handsome face and hooded eyes to great effect in 1995’s A Single Girl opposite Virginie Ledoyen. The two actors have a truthful, easy spark between them that’s quintessential French post-teen. The next year, he was featured in the excellent Thieves, by then-huge director André Téchiné, alongside two of the country’s finest, Daniel Auteuil and Catherine Deneuve...
A young Magimel in Benoît Jacquot's A Single Girl (1995).
This weekend, we’re celebrating one of French cinema’s greatest actors, Benoît Magimel, who turns 50 today.
Magimel exploded upon the industry in the mid 1990s, making a string of pictures right after his 21st birthday that involved collaborations with several big names. Benoît Jacquot used his broad, handsome face and hooded eyes to great effect in 1995’s A Single Girl opposite Virginie Ledoyen. The two actors have a truthful, easy spark between them that’s quintessential French post-teen. The next year, he was featured in the excellent Thieves, by then-huge director André Téchiné, alongside two of the country’s finest, Daniel Auteuil and Catherine Deneuve...
- 5/11/2024
- by EricB
- FilmExperience
Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock here with you today. Cannes is nearly here, and we’ve got you covered there, along with the rest of the noise from the international film and TV worlds.
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
Cannes Looms Large
The build-up: The 81st Cannes Film Festival kicks off in less than a week but all the early talk surrounding the fest is about events away from the big screen. The French industry is currently in a state of paralysis as speculation continues to mount in the local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the festival’s first day. There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of accusations is due to break in the lead-up and during the upcoming edition. The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes Film Festival President Iris Knobloch has said the event is paying close attention to the evolving #MeToo situation in France in an interview with celebrity magazine Paris Match.
The publication of the Q&a on Thursday came amid rising speculation within the French media and local film industry that a raft of #MeToo allegations is set to break in the lead up and during the upcoming 81st edition of the festival, running from May 14 to 25.
Quizzed on whether a film would be retained in Competition if its director were implicated in a sexual assault case, Knobloch replied the festival would make a decision on a case by case basis
“We’re extremely attentive to what is happening today, and we’re following the situation closely,” she said. “If the case of a person being implicated should arise, we will take care to make the right decision on a case-by-case basis,...
The publication of the Q&a on Thursday came amid rising speculation within the French media and local film industry that a raft of #MeToo allegations is set to break in the lead up and during the upcoming 81st edition of the festival, running from May 14 to 25.
Quizzed on whether a film would be retained in Competition if its director were implicated in a sexual assault case, Knobloch replied the festival would make a decision on a case by case basis
“We’re extremely attentive to what is happening today, and we’re following the situation closely,” she said. “If the case of a person being implicated should arise, we will take care to make the right decision on a case-by-case basis,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
With less than a week to go until the kick-off of the 81st Cannes Film Festival, speculation is mounting in the French media and local film industry over rumors that a bombshell #MeToo exposé will drop on the day of the opening.
There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of #MeToo accusations is due to break in the lead up and during the upcoming edition.
The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says suffered as a teenager at the hands of director Benoît Jacquot. He has denied the allegations.
The speculation may come to nothing but an article by French newspaper Le Figaro last weekend headlined “#MeToo: before the Cannes Film Festival, the cinema industry is in a cold sweat” has sent the local rumor mill into overdrive.
There has been talk in the French film industry for weeks that a raft of #MeToo accusations is due to break in the lead up and during the upcoming edition.
The rumors come amid a fresh #MeToo wave in France, sparked by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about sexual abuse she says suffered as a teenager at the hands of director Benoît Jacquot. He has denied the allegations.
The speculation may come to nothing but an article by French newspaper Le Figaro last weekend headlined “#MeToo: before the Cannes Film Festival, the cinema industry is in a cold sweat” has sent the local rumor mill into overdrive.
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
French President Emmanuel Macron has clarified comments he made last year about Gérard Depardieu which seemed to suggest his support for the actor in the face of a tide of sexual assault accusations, which the latter has denied.
Speaking in an interview with French women’s magazine Elle, published on Wednesday, Macron suggested his comments had been misinterpreted and that he was not “complacent” about the issues around sexual harassment and abuse.
“I just want a respect for our principles, such as the presumption of innocence. These same principles which will allow justice to rule next October and that is a good thing.” he said.
Depardieu is due to be tried in October on charges of sexual assault on two women on a film set in 2021, while accusations of sexual assault and rape by actress Charlotte Arnould are also making their way through the courts.
In the backdrop a number...
Speaking in an interview with French women’s magazine Elle, published on Wednesday, Macron suggested his comments had been misinterpreted and that he was not “complacent” about the issues around sexual harassment and abuse.
“I just want a respect for our principles, such as the presumption of innocence. These same principles which will allow justice to rule next October and that is a good thing.” he said.
Depardieu is due to be tried in October on charges of sexual assault on two women on a film set in 2021, while accusations of sexual assault and rape by actress Charlotte Arnould are also making their way through the courts.
In the backdrop a number...
- 5/8/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The April 25 decision by the New York Court of Appeals to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s felony sex crime conviction looked like a major blow to the #MeToo movement in the U.S. and to the progress made within the U.S. film industry since 2017 (when the first allegations against Weinstein were made public).
In France, they are still waiting for that first wave of progress. The outrage triggered by #MeToo echoed across la grande nation — it even spawned a French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or “Expose Your Pig” — but, until very recently, efforts to challenge the structure of the French entertainment industry came to very little.
That, it seems, is changing. U.S.-style measures, including the use of intimacy coordinators for sex scenes or chaperones to supervise the treatment of minors, are slowly becoming standard practice on French movie sets. #MeToo is “really at the center of our discussion now, in...
In France, they are still waiting for that first wave of progress. The outrage triggered by #MeToo echoed across la grande nation — it even spawned a French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or “Expose Your Pig” — but, until very recently, efforts to challenge the structure of the French entertainment industry came to very little.
That, it seems, is changing. U.S.-style measures, including the use of intimacy coordinators for sex scenes or chaperones to supervise the treatment of minors, are slowly becoming standard practice on French movie sets. #MeToo is “really at the center of our discussion now, in...
- 5/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Moi Aussi Photo: © Maneki Films A surprise last minute addition has been added to the Cannes Film Festival’s roster with the inclusion of a short film directed by actress Judith Godrèche who recently has called out sexual harassment, claiming that she had been the victim as a minor of grooming by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both have denied the allegations of sexual assault.
The film Moi Aussi (Me Too) will be screened at the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony in the Salle Debussy of the Palais des Festivals and at the Cinéma de la Plage, with free admission, on May 15.
Judith Godrèche Photo: UniFrance Godrèche who has appeared in more than 50 films, aims to highlight the stories of victims of sexual violence. The festival organisers in a statement said: "These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes...
The film Moi Aussi (Me Too) will be screened at the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony in the Salle Debussy of the Palais des Festivals and at the Cinéma de la Plage, with free admission, on May 15.
Judith Godrèche Photo: UniFrance Godrèche who has appeared in more than 50 films, aims to highlight the stories of victims of sexual violence. The festival organisers in a statement said: "These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes...
- 5/7/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Judith Godrèche’s short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence will world premiere in official selection at Cannes, as part of the Un Certain Regard Opening Ceremony on May 15.
The ensemble film is written and directed by Godrèche and produced by Didar Dommeri of Maneki Films. It is made up of personal accounts told in fragments that unites around 1,000 people after Godrèche posted a call to action for victims of sexual assault on social media
The festival said it will showcase the film that highlights victims of sexual violence because “these individual experiences add to her own,...
The ensemble film is written and directed by Godrèche and produced by Didar Dommeri of Maneki Films. It is made up of personal accounts told in fragments that unites around 1,000 people after Godrèche posted a call to action for victims of sexual assault on social media
The festival said it will showcase the film that highlights victims of sexual violence because “these individual experiences add to her own,...
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
A week before its kick-off, the Cannes Film Festival has made a last-minute addition with “Moi Aussi,” a short film directed by Judith Godreche.
The actor-turned-filmmaker made headlines in recent months for spearheading France’s new MeToo reckoning with her revelations that she had been preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both directors have denied her allegations of sexual assault.
Godreche’s testimony has also led the French parliament to approve the creation of a commission whose task is to investigate abuse and sexual violence within France’s film and TV industry, as well as performing arts, advertising and fashion.
In her short film “Moi Aussi,” Godreche highlights the stories of victims of sexual violence. “These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes to give resonance to these personal accounts,” said the festival in a statement.
The actor-turned-filmmaker made headlines in recent months for spearheading France’s new MeToo reckoning with her revelations that she had been preyed upon and groomed as a minor by directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon. Both directors have denied her allegations of sexual assault.
Godreche’s testimony has also led the French parliament to approve the creation of a commission whose task is to investigate abuse and sexual violence within France’s film and TV industry, as well as performing arts, advertising and fashion.
In her short film “Moi Aussi,” Godreche highlights the stories of victims of sexual violence. “These individual experiences add to her own, underscoring their sadly universal nature. The Festival de Cannes thus wishes to give resonance to these personal accounts,” said the festival in a statement.
- 5/7/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has been at the forefront of a fresh #MeToo wave in France this year, has been invited by the Cannes Film Festival to world premiere short film Moi Aussi in Official Selection.
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
The film, highlighting the stories of victims of sexual violence, will be screened during the opening ceremony for its Un Certain Regard section in the Palais des Festivals’ Salle Debussy and as part of the free, public Cinéma de la Plage program on May 15.
Moi Aussi follows in the wake of Godrèche’s decision earlier this year to publicly denounce her six-year relationship with director Benoît Jacquot in the 1980s, which began when she was 14 years old, and he was 39.
The actress and filmmaker, who said she was under his influence and that the relationship was wrong, filed a police complaint against the Farewell, My Queen and Diary of a Chambermaid director...
- 5/7/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
This February, French actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche helped ignite a new spark in her country’s #MeToo reckoning. Early in the month, the lauded star filed two different rape complaints against a pair of French directors: first, against Benoît Jacquot, for “predation” and “violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority” (via Variety), the second, against Jacques Doillon, alleging he raped her twice when she was 15 and starring in his “La fille de 15 ans” (via Variety).
By February 22, Variety reported on the rising reckoning, partially due to Godrèche’s new allegations, noting that “France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place.” And, one day later, Godrèche appeared at France’s Césars ceremony to deliver a speech to encourage people, particularly those inside the entertainment industry,...
By February 22, Variety reported on the rising reckoning, partially due to Godrèche’s new allegations, noting that “France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place.” And, one day later, Godrèche appeared at France’s Césars ceremony to deliver a speech to encourage people, particularly those inside the entertainment industry,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Last year, the Cannes Film Festival shrugged off protests by women’s rights groups to open with Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, a period movie starring alleged abuser Johnny Depp as the king of France.
A year and a mini-#MeToo revolution later, Cannes has picked Moi Aussi (Me Too), a short film by French actress turned activist and filmmaker Judith Godrèche to open its Un Certain Regard sidebar.
Best known in the U.S. for the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Godrèche became a key figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
The allegations, and Godrèche’s standing as one of France’s best-known actresses and a beloved former child star, helped bring #MeToo back into the spotlight in France. Her...
A year and a mini-#MeToo revolution later, Cannes has picked Moi Aussi (Me Too), a short film by French actress turned activist and filmmaker Judith Godrèche to open its Un Certain Regard sidebar.
Best known in the U.S. for the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Godrèche became a key figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
The allegations, and Godrèche’s standing as one of France’s best-known actresses and a beloved former child star, helped bring #MeToo back into the spotlight in France. Her...
- 5/7/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The French Parliament has agreed to launch an inquiry into sexual and gender-based violence across the country’s film, audiovisual, performing arts, advertising and fashion sectors.
On Thursday, the Assemblée Nationale unveiled the launch of the inquiry following a speech made by French actress and director Judith Godrèche in February.
Godrèche has become a crucial figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillion of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
She watched on, seemingly wiping away tears, as all 52 lawmakers present for the vote approved the commission on Thursday.
Parliament member for Paris and vp of the cultural affairs and education committee, Sarah Legrain, wrote on X: “The commission of inquiry against sexual violence in cinema and live performance has been launched. … It’s up to us to rise to the occasion.”
Green Party...
On Thursday, the Assemblée Nationale unveiled the launch of the inquiry following a speech made by French actress and director Judith Godrèche in February.
Godrèche has become a crucial figure in France’s #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillion of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims.
She watched on, seemingly wiping away tears, as all 52 lawmakers present for the vote approved the commission on Thursday.
Parliament member for Paris and vp of the cultural affairs and education committee, Sarah Legrain, wrote on X: “The commission of inquiry against sexual violence in cinema and live performance has been launched. … It’s up to us to rise to the occasion.”
Green Party...
- 5/2/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The French parliament has approved the creation of a commission of inquiry to investigate abuse and sexual violence in the country’s cinema and audiovisual industries as well as the worlds of the performing arts, advertizing and fashion.
The initiative follows a request by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has spearheaded a fresh #MeToo wave in France in recent months, following her decision to go public with allegations of sexual assault against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, which they have denied.
Godrèche pushed for the creation of a commission of inquiry in February and then again in March in separate addresses to the French Senate and parliament, at the invitation of their delegations for women’s rights and children’s rights.
Francesca Pasquini, who is a member of parliament for The Ecologists party, acted on Godrèche’s request to set in motion a proposal to create the commission.
The initiative follows a request by actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, who has spearheaded a fresh #MeToo wave in France in recent months, following her decision to go public with allegations of sexual assault against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, which they have denied.
Godrèche pushed for the creation of a commission of inquiry in February and then again in March in separate addresses to the French Senate and parliament, at the invitation of their delegations for women’s rights and children’s rights.
Francesca Pasquini, who is a member of parliament for The Ecologists party, acted on Godrèche’s request to set in motion a proposal to create the commission.
- 5/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 100 men working in the French film world have written an open letter in support of the #MeToo movement.
Signatories include filmmakers Jacques Audiard, Abderrahmane Sissako, Cyril Dion, Eric Lartigau, and Emmanuel Mouret, alongside actors such as Mathieu Amalric, Anatomy Of A Fall’s Swann Arlaud, and Reda Kateb.
France Televisions’ head of cinema Manuel Alduy, producer Marc Missonnier, and designer Christian Lacroix have also added ther names.
The letter, spearheaded by actress Anouk Grinberg’s husband and mathematician Michel Broué and published on Elle magazine’s website, stated “it is revolting that theatre and cinema should be used...
Signatories include filmmakers Jacques Audiard, Abderrahmane Sissako, Cyril Dion, Eric Lartigau, and Emmanuel Mouret, alongside actors such as Mathieu Amalric, Anatomy Of A Fall’s Swann Arlaud, and Reda Kateb.
France Televisions’ head of cinema Manuel Alduy, producer Marc Missonnier, and designer Christian Lacroix have also added ther names.
The letter, spearheaded by actress Anouk Grinberg’s husband and mathematician Michel Broué and published on Elle magazine’s website, stated “it is revolting that theatre and cinema should be used...
- 5/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
More than 100 men working in the French film world have written an open letter in support of the #MeToo movement.
Signatories include filmmakers Jacques Audiard, Abderrahmane Sissako, Cyril Dion, Eric Lartigau, and Emmanuel Mouret, alongside actors such as Mathieu Amalric, Anatomy Of A Fall’s Swann Arlaud, and Reda Kateb.
France Televisions’ head of cinema Manuel Alduy, producer Marc Missonnier, and designer Christian Lacroix have also added ther names.
The letter, spearheaded by actress Anouk Grinberg’s husband and mathematician Michel Broué and published on Elle magazine’s website, stated “it is revolting that theatre and cinema should be used...
Signatories include filmmakers Jacques Audiard, Abderrahmane Sissako, Cyril Dion, Eric Lartigau, and Emmanuel Mouret, alongside actors such as Mathieu Amalric, Anatomy Of A Fall’s Swann Arlaud, and Reda Kateb.
France Televisions’ head of cinema Manuel Alduy, producer Marc Missonnier, and designer Christian Lacroix have also added ther names.
The letter, spearheaded by actress Anouk Grinberg’s husband and mathematician Michel Broué and published on Elle magazine’s website, stated “it is revolting that theatre and cinema should be used...
- 5/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
A fresh #MeToo case has broken in France with 10 actresses accusing director Philippe Loiret of inappropriate behavior in an investigative report carried out by radio and news network France Info.
According to the report released on Tuesday, the accusations are related to the casting process for Loiret’s 2011 feature All Our Desires, when the director was at the peak of his fame in the wake of award-winning box office hit Welcome starring Mélanie Laurent.
The accusations comes amid France’s recent embrace of the #MeToo movement sparked in large part by actress Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about her under-age relationship with director Benoît Jacquot, and filing of an official police complaint him for “rape with constraint”. He has denied the charges.
Loosely adapted from a novel by Emmanuel Carrère, All Our Desires revolved around a young female magistrate suffering from cancer who teams up with an older...
According to the report released on Tuesday, the accusations are related to the casting process for Loiret’s 2011 feature All Our Desires, when the director was at the peak of his fame in the wake of award-winning box office hit Welcome starring Mélanie Laurent.
The accusations comes amid France’s recent embrace of the #MeToo movement sparked in large part by actress Judith Godrèche’s decision to speak up about her under-age relationship with director Benoît Jacquot, and filing of an official police complaint him for “rape with constraint”. He has denied the charges.
Loosely adapted from a novel by Emmanuel Carrère, All Our Desires revolved around a young female magistrate suffering from cancer who teams up with an older...
- 4/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Six months after world-premiering to poor reviews at the Venice Film Festival, Roman Polanski’s latest film “The Palace” has been acquired by a French distribution company, Swashbuckler Films.
The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.
Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.
“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...
The Paris-based banner, which specializes in classic movies, is hoping to release “The Palace” on May 15. The company’s owner, Sebastien Tiveyrat, told Variety he hasn’t yet obtained the exhibition visa from the National Film Board and hasn’t started contacting exhibitors in France to book theaters.
Although Polanski’s inclusion at the Venice festival sparked a controversy due to the fact that he’s still currently facing sexual assault allegations, “The Palace” sold across many territories, including Germany, Russia, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria and French-speaking Switzerland where it came out between September and January. The black comedy will next open in Portugal on April 4. Goodfellas handles international sales on the movie.
“The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve...
- 3/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Dominique Boutonnat, the president of the National Film Board (Cnc), the country’s most powerful film institution, will stand trial for alleged sexual assault starting on June 14, Variety has confirmed.
Boutonnat was indicted in February 2021 for the alleged sexual assault of his 22-year-old godson in 2020. It took over two years for the Nanterre Court to set a start date for the trial, which will kick off after the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The information was first reported by the online publication “L’Informé.”
When contacted by Variety, the Cnc declined to comment. It’s unknown whether Boutonnat, whose term ends in 2025, will remain in post during the trial.
The National Film Board plays a crucial role in allocating subsidies to French TV and film producers, establishing selection committees and boards, as well as setting guidelines for the whole industry.
In spite of the indictment, Boutonnat was appointed...
Boutonnat was indicted in February 2021 for the alleged sexual assault of his 22-year-old godson in 2020. It took over two years for the Nanterre Court to set a start date for the trial, which will kick off after the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival. The information was first reported by the online publication “L’Informé.”
When contacted by Variety, the Cnc declined to comment. It’s unknown whether Boutonnat, whose term ends in 2025, will remain in post during the trial.
The National Film Board plays a crucial role in allocating subsidies to French TV and film producers, establishing selection committees and boards, as well as setting guidelines for the whole industry.
In spite of the indictment, Boutonnat was appointed...
- 3/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
French director Claire Denis is set to return to West Africa for her next feature film, an adaptation of late French playwright Bernard-Marie Koltès’s 1980 work Black Battles With Dogs (Combat de nègre et de chiens).
“It’s a play written by a friend of mine a long time ago and directed by Patrice Chéreau on stage in the 80s. He was dying from AIDS and he wanted me to make a film out of it,” Denis told Deadline on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra meeting in Qatar.
She is planning to film in either Senegal or Cameroon.
Denis grew up in West Africa and set a number of her early films in the region, such as Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1989). This will be her first major fiction feature shot on the African continent since the 2009 drama White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert as a coffee plantation...
“It’s a play written by a friend of mine a long time ago and directed by Patrice Chéreau on stage in the 80s. He was dying from AIDS and he wanted me to make a film out of it,” Denis told Deadline on the fringes of the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra meeting in Qatar.
She is planning to film in either Senegal or Cameroon.
Denis grew up in West Africa and set a number of her early films in the region, such as Chocolat (1988) and Beau Travail (1989). This will be her first major fiction feature shot on the African continent since the 2009 drama White Material, starring Isabelle Huppert as a coffee plantation...
- 3/5/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Judith Godrèche is burning down the house. Her hope is that something better will emerge from the ashes.
In recent weeks, the French actress and director, a three-time César nominee known for starring in English and French-language hits including The Man In The Iron Mask, The Spanish Apartment and Potiche, has taken a match to a culture of silence and denial within France’s cinema world when it comes to sexual abuse. In her first trade interview, she talks to Deadline about her experiences, the motivation behind her campaign and what she hopes to achieve.
At the heart of Godrèche’s mission is the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which began when she was only 14 years old, and he was 39. The minimum age of consent in France is 15.
Godrèche, now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted,...
In recent weeks, the French actress and director, a three-time César nominee known for starring in English and French-language hits including The Man In The Iron Mask, The Spanish Apartment and Potiche, has taken a match to a culture of silence and denial within France’s cinema world when it comes to sexual abuse. In her first trade interview, she talks to Deadline about her experiences, the motivation behind her campaign and what she hopes to achieve.
At the heart of Godrèche’s mission is the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which began when she was only 14 years old, and he was 39. The minimum age of consent in France is 15.
Godrèche, now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind docuseries “The Staircase,” has once again struck a chord with “Samber,” a limited series about a French serial rapist that explores the damages of sexual violence against women and children.
“Samber,” a six-part thriller series directed by de Lestrade, charts the true case of Dino Scala, a seemingly ordinary family man who sexually assaulted and raped more than 50 women and minors over three decades in Northeastern France. In spite of several victims filing complaints, Scala was able to slip through the cracks of France’s judicial system and benefited from a complacent stance toward sexual abuses. He was eventually arrested in February 2018 and found guilty of 17 rapes, 12 attempted rapes and 27 sexual assaults or attempts. In June 2022, Scala was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Represented in international markets by Federation Studios, the six-part series has captured the zeitgeist in France, which is undergoing a...
“Samber,” a six-part thriller series directed by de Lestrade, charts the true case of Dino Scala, a seemingly ordinary family man who sexually assaulted and raped more than 50 women and minors over three decades in Northeastern France. In spite of several victims filing complaints, Scala was able to slip through the cracks of France’s judicial system and benefited from a complacent stance toward sexual abuses. He was eventually arrested in February 2018 and found guilty of 17 rapes, 12 attempted rapes and 27 sexual assaults or attempts. In June 2022, Scala was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Represented in international markets by Federation Studios, the six-part series has captured the zeitgeist in France, which is undergoing a...
- 2/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Anatomy Of A Fall was named best French film of the year at the 49th annual César awards, among six prizes for Justine Triet’s film during an evening dominated by female solidarity that saw actress Judith Godrèche set the tone with a #MeToo-motivated speech.
Scroll down for full list of winners
Anatomy Of A Fall also earned prizes for best director for Triet, best actress for Sandra Hüller, best original screenplay for Triet and Arthur Harari, best supporting actor for Swann Arlaud and best editing for Laurent Senechal.
Triet’s best director prize made her the first female filmmaker...
Scroll down for full list of winners
Anatomy Of A Fall also earned prizes for best director for Triet, best actress for Sandra Hüller, best original screenplay for Triet and Arthur Harari, best supporting actor for Swann Arlaud and best editing for Laurent Senechal.
Triet’s best director prize made her the first female filmmaker...
- 2/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall won Best Film and Best Director at the 49th edition of the French César awards Friday.
Triet is only the second women to clinch the Best Director prize in the near 50-year history of the César Awards, after Tonie Marshall for Venus Beauty in 1976.
The director took to the stage with her producers Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelléas.
Luciani suggested the Best Film honor, which is voted on by the some 4,600 members of the César Academy, was a sign of solidarity for the film and Triet in the light of her controversial Cannes d’Or acceptance speech which provoked a political backlash after she criticized the attitude of Emmanuel Macron’s government towards culture and cinema.
“After Justine’s speech in Cannes and the lively debate she provoked we’d like to say this...
Triet is only the second women to clinch the Best Director prize in the near 50-year history of the César Awards, after Tonie Marshall for Venus Beauty in 1976.
The director took to the stage with her producers Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelléas.
Luciani suggested the Best Film honor, which is voted on by the some 4,600 members of the César Academy, was a sign of solidarity for the film and Triet in the light of her controversial Cannes d’Or acceptance speech which provoked a political backlash after she criticized the attitude of Emmanuel Macron’s government towards culture and cinema.
“After Justine’s speech in Cannes and the lively debate she provoked we’d like to say this...
- 2/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Actress and director Judith Godrèche made an appeal at the French César Awards on Friday for a new era of truth around the issue of sexual abuse and harassment in France’s cinema world after decades of silence and denial.
“For some time now, voices have been unleashed, the idealized image of our fathers has been shattered, power almost seems to be in a state of turmoil, could it be possible for us to look at the truth in the eye?,” she said in scheduled address.
“To take on our responsibilities? To be actors, actresses of a world that is questioning itself?, “ she asked. “For some time now, I’ve been talking and talking, but I can’t hear you, or only a little. Where are you? What are you saying? A whisper. Half a word.”
Her appearance at the César ceremony comes three weeks after the actress filed an...
“For some time now, voices have been unleashed, the idealized image of our fathers has been shattered, power almost seems to be in a state of turmoil, could it be possible for us to look at the truth in the eye?,” she said in scheduled address.
“To take on our responsibilities? To be actors, actresses of a world that is questioning itself?, “ she asked. “For some time now, I’ve been talking and talking, but I can’t hear you, or only a little. Where are you? What are you saying? A whisper. Half a word.”
Her appearance at the César ceremony comes three weeks after the actress filed an...
- 2/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Justine Triet became the second female filmmaker in the Cesar Award’s 49-year history to win the best director trophy for “Anatomy of a Fall,” which also won best film, original screenplay, actress for Sandra Huller, supporting actor for Swann Arlaud and editing at the French film industry’s big night. Thomas Cailley’s supernatural drama “The Animal Kingdom” also dominated the race, picking up a raft of prizes, including cinematography, costumes, visual effects and music. The ceremony unfolded at the Olympia Theater in Paris on Friday evening and aired lived on Canal+.
Triet’s movie, which is vying for five Oscars, stars Hüller as a novelist who is put on trial following the mysterious death of her husband at their remote chalet. The movie is produced by Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelleas.
Triet dedicated her best film award to all women,...
Triet’s movie, which is vying for five Oscars, stars Hüller as a novelist who is put on trial following the mysterious death of her husband at their remote chalet. The movie is produced by Marie-Ange Luciani at Les Films de Pierre and David Thion at Les Films Pelleas.
Triet dedicated her best film award to all women,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
New Wave of Accusations Ignites MeToo Reckoning in France: ‘Women Are Fed Up. The Anger Is Enormous’
France’s film industry is undergoing a new MeToo reckoning, dominating news cycles, policy debates and even the goodie bag of the Cesar Awards’ nominees dinner, which included a flyer headlined, “The cultural sector together against sexist and sexual violence.”
The French #MeToo movement also made its way into the Berlinale, where actor Nora Hamzawi said that director Jacques Doillon’s upcoming film “Third Grade” — in which Hamzawi stars — shouldn’t be released due to the sexual misconduct allegations recently filed against the filmmkaker.
France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place. Those demands include the appointment of “experts specialized in the prevention and management of sexual violence to set up a safe environment at the start of every shoot;” additional resources for organizations fighting sexual misconduct; and setting up an...
The French #MeToo movement also made its way into the Berlinale, where actor Nora Hamzawi said that director Jacques Doillon’s upcoming film “Third Grade” — in which Hamzawi stars — shouldn’t be released due to the sexual misconduct allegations recently filed against the filmmkaker.
France’s major producers guilds have also issued a statement demanding the National Film Board (Cnc) and the Minister of Culture to put specific guidelines in place. Those demands include the appointment of “experts specialized in the prevention and management of sexual violence to set up a safe environment at the start of every shoot;” additional resources for organizations fighting sexual misconduct; and setting up an...
- 2/22/2024
- by Ben Croll and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
It was never Suzy Bemba’s plan to become a professional actress. This year’s European Shooting Star from France had dabbled in performance — “10 years of ballet, maybe six years of singing classes,” she recalls. After a knee injury made it impossible to keep dancing, she switched to acting as “a new way of expression” and started trying out for open auditions, driving with her mother the two and half hours into Paris from their home in the French countryside. Her mother sent out inquiries to French talent agencies, and one agreed to sign Bemba after she graduated high school.
But when Bemba graduated, acting was the last thing on her mind. “I wanted to go to med school, that was always the dream, so when I graduated, that’s what I did,” she says. “I kind of forgot about the idea of acting.”
It was only after her freshman...
But when Bemba graduated, acting was the last thing on her mind. “I wanted to go to med school, that was always the dream, so when I graduated, that’s what I did,” she says. “I kind of forgot about the idea of acting.”
It was only after her freshman...
- 2/16/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
French actresss Judith Godrèche has filed an official police complaint against Jacques Doillon, accusing him of two counts of sexual assault in the 1980s when she was a minor.
News of the complaint came just one day after Godrèche revealed in an interview with Le Monde newspaper she had filed a complaint against director Benoît Jacquot for “rapes with violence of a minor less than 15-years-old”.
The Paris Prosecutor’s office has since confirmed to Deadline that a case has been opened.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s.
The actress says she was 14-years-old when the relationship began while the director was 40 and that she was “under his influence”. Jacquot has denied the accusations saying they were in a “loving” relationship.
The actress publicly made the accusations against Doillon...
News of the complaint came just one day after Godrèche revealed in an interview with Le Monde newspaper she had filed a complaint against director Benoît Jacquot for “rapes with violence of a minor less than 15-years-old”.
The Paris Prosecutor’s office has since confirmed to Deadline that a case has been opened.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s.
The actress says she was 14-years-old when the relationship began while the director was 40 and that she was “under his influence”. Jacquot has denied the accusations saying they were in a “loving” relationship.
The actress publicly made the accusations against Doillon...
- 2/8/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Judith Godrèche, the French actor-turned-filmmaker who recently delivered the semi-autobiographical series “Icon of French Cinema,” has filed a complaint against director Jacques Doillon alleging rape, Variety has confirmed.
Godrèche filed the complaint on Feb. 6, the same day that she filed one against director Benoit Jacquot.
Interviewed by the local radio station France Inter, Godrèche alleged that she was raped twice by Doillon when she was 15 in the late 1980s. She claimed the sexual assault happened at the home that Doillon shared with his then partner Jane Birkin, during the shoot of “La fille de 15 ans.” Godrèche, who was at the time in a relationship with Jacquot, had the lead role in Doillon’s film and starred alongside Melvil Poupaud and Doillon himself. The movie came out in 1989.
“It was hallucinating. He got rid of the actor and took his place and all of the sudden he decided that there...
Godrèche filed the complaint on Feb. 6, the same day that she filed one against director Benoit Jacquot.
Interviewed by the local radio station France Inter, Godrèche alleged that she was raped twice by Doillon when she was 15 in the late 1980s. She claimed the sexual assault happened at the home that Doillon shared with his then partner Jane Birkin, during the shoot of “La fille de 15 ans.” Godrèche, who was at the time in a relationship with Jacquot, had the lead role in Doillon’s film and starred alongside Melvil Poupaud and Doillon himself. The movie came out in 1989.
“It was hallucinating. He got rid of the actor and took his place and all of the sudden he decided that there...
- 2/8/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
French actor Judith Godrèche has lodge a rape complaint against filmmaker Benoît Jacquot, newspaper Le Monde reports.
Godrèche, who met Jacquot when she was 14 years old and the director was 39, accuses him of “predation” and “violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority.” She has filed her complaint with France’s Juvenile Protection Brigade.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, Jacquot denies the claims, telling the outlet theirs was a “loving” relationship.
Godrèche and Jacquot met in 1986 on the set of his movie “Les Mendiants,” which was released two years later. Despite the 25 year age gap, they began a relationship which went on for six years, during which time the actor says she was “in [Jacquot’s] grip.” She also starred in his 1990 film “La Desenchantee.”
“It’s a story like the stories of children who are kidnapped and who grow up without seeing the world...
Godrèche, who met Jacquot when she was 14 years old and the director was 39, accuses him of “predation” and “violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority.” She has filed her complaint with France’s Juvenile Protection Brigade.
According to French newspaper Le Monde, Jacquot denies the claims, telling the outlet theirs was a “loving” relationship.
Godrèche and Jacquot met in 1986 on the set of his movie “Les Mendiants,” which was released two years later. Despite the 25 year age gap, they began a relationship which went on for six years, during which time the actor says she was “in [Jacquot’s] grip.” She also starred in his 1990 film “La Desenchantee.”
“It’s a story like the stories of children who are kidnapped and who grow up without seeing the world...
- 2/7/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
French actresss Judith Godrèche has filed an official police complaint against director Benoît Jacquot for “rapes with violence of a minor less than 15-years-old”, according to an investigative report by Le Monde on Wednesday.
The complaint comes just weeks after Godrèche publicly condemned the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which she says began when she was only 14 years old and he was 40.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s. Deadline has contacted Jacquot’s representative for comment on the complaint.
According to Le Monde, Godrèche attended an interview with the Brigade for the Protection of Minors, a police service dealing with juvenile justice matters, in Paris on February 6, where she gave an account of her relationship with Jacquot, having previously consulted her lawyer Laure Heinich on the matter.
The complaint comes just weeks after Godrèche publicly condemned the relationship she had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which she says began when she was only 14 years old and he was 40.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s. Deadline has contacted Jacquot’s representative for comment on the complaint.
According to Le Monde, Godrèche attended an interview with the Brigade for the Protection of Minors, a police service dealing with juvenile justice matters, in Paris on February 6, where she gave an account of her relationship with Jacquot, having previously consulted her lawyer Laure Heinich on the matter.
- 2/7/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Thomas Cailley’s sci-fi thriller The Animal Kingdom and Justin Triet’s Oscar-nominated courtroom drama Anatomy Of A Fall rose to the top of the nominations at France’s Cesar awards.
The Animal Kingdom, a supernatural twist on a father-son drama that first premiered at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, has been nominated for 12 awards including best film and will vie in that category against the five-time Academy-award nominated, Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy Of A Fall with 11 nominations, alongside Cédric Kahn’s The Goldman Case, Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces and Jean-Baptiste Durand’s Junkyard Dogs.
Cailley, Triet, Kahn and...
The Animal Kingdom, a supernatural twist on a father-son drama that first premiered at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, has been nominated for 12 awards including best film and will vie in that category against the five-time Academy-award nominated, Palme d’Or-winning Anatomy Of A Fall with 11 nominations, alongside Cédric Kahn’s The Goldman Case, Jeanne Herry’s All Your Faces and Jean-Baptiste Durand’s Junkyard Dogs.
Cailley, Triet, Kahn and...
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
Doc is third in director Jean-Michel Bertrand wolf trilogy
France TV Distribution is kicking off sales on Jean-Michel Bertrand’s documentary Living With Wolves at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema which opens tomorrow in Paris.
The film is Bertrand’s third in his wolf trilogy and sees him living alongside a community of wolves in European forests. As wolves continue to repopulate Europe, Bertrand offers a lesson in how to exist alongside these mysterious yet dangerous animals.
Living With Wolves, produced by MC4, is set for a January 24 release in France via Gebeka Films. France TV Distribution will market premiere...
France TV Distribution is kicking off sales on Jean-Michel Bertrand’s documentary Living With Wolves at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema which opens tomorrow in Paris.
The film is Bertrand’s third in his wolf trilogy and sees him living alongside a community of wolves in European forests. As wolves continue to repopulate Europe, Bertrand offers a lesson in how to exist alongside these mysterious yet dangerous animals.
Living With Wolves, produced by MC4, is set for a January 24 release in France via Gebeka Films. France TV Distribution will market premiere...
- 1/15/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here in a week that has had a distinctly ‘back to school’ feel to it. We’ve certainly been busy. Read on for the biggest stories of the week and sign up here.
Has #MeToo Finally Arrived in France?
Watershed: The past week has felt like a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in France. The country’s film industry has been at the forefront of efforts to foster gender parity thanks to pioneering activist group Le Collectif 50/50 and initiatives such as the festival charter, along with extra state funding for movies hiring women for key crew positions. However, a culture of silence around allegations of sexual abuse by big figures such as Roman Polanski and Gérard Depardieu has long been a source of debate and consternation in and outside of the country. There are signs that a major shift is underway following a bombshell...
Has #MeToo Finally Arrived in France?
Watershed: The past week has felt like a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in France. The country’s film industry has been at the forefront of efforts to foster gender parity thanks to pioneering activist group Le Collectif 50/50 and initiatives such as the festival charter, along with extra state funding for movies hiring women for key crew positions. However, a culture of silence around allegations of sexual abuse by big figures such as Roman Polanski and Gérard Depardieu has long been a source of debate and consternation in and outside of the country. There are signs that a major shift is underway following a bombshell...
- 1/12/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A decade ago, Gerard Depardieu played a character inspired by Dominique Strauss-Kahn — the disgraced former head of the International Monetary Fund who was accused of assaulting a hotel maid — in Abel Ferrara’s “Welcome to New York.” In an ironic twist, the iconic French actor has now become the poster boy for the country’s #MeToo movement, having been charged with rape and faced with over a dozen sexual assault allegations.
But the French remain divided over him due to his profile as a mascot of the country’s cinematic history. He’s starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” François Truffaut’s “Le Dernier Metro” and Bertrand Blier’s “Going Places.” However, the tide is starting to shift — while French President Emmanuel Macron refused to revoke his Legion of Honor, the Paris wax museum went ahead and removed his statue on Dec.
But the French remain divided over him due to his profile as a mascot of the country’s cinematic history. He’s starred in over 150 films, including classics such as Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s “Cyrano de Bergerac,” François Truffaut’s “Le Dernier Metro” and Bertrand Blier’s “Going Places.” However, the tide is starting to shift — while French President Emmanuel Macron refused to revoke his Legion of Honor, the Paris wax museum went ahead and removed his statue on Dec.
- 1/11/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Fresh controversy is brewing in the French film industry just weeks after a bombshell documentary detailing sexual assault accusations against Gérard Depardieu divided its ranks.
In what promises to be another divisive affair, actress Judith Godrèche has publicly condemned the relationship she openly had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which she says began when she was only 14 years old and he was 40.
Godrèche said this week that she was “under his influence” and that the relationship was wrong.
Jacquot – whose films as director include 2015 drama Diary Of A Chambermaid, Farewell, My Queen and Casanova, Last Love – has always held that Godrèche was 15, the minimum age of consent in France.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s.
She went on to build a successful career as an actress...
In what promises to be another divisive affair, actress Judith Godrèche has publicly condemned the relationship she openly had with director Benoît Jacquot in the late 1980s, which she says began when she was only 14 years old and he was 40.
Godrèche said this week that she was “under his influence” and that the relationship was wrong.
Jacquot – whose films as director include 2015 drama Diary Of A Chambermaid, Farewell, My Queen and Casanova, Last Love – has always held that Godrèche was 15, the minimum age of consent in France.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted, before leaving him in her early 20s.
She went on to build a successful career as an actress...
- 1/11/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Melvil Poupaud began his 40-year career, at the age of 10 Photo: Thomas Brunot/UniFrance Following in the illustrious wake of talents including Juliette Binoche, Virginie Efira, Olivier Assayas and Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, it is the turn of actor Melvil Poupaud to be honoured during the UniFrance Rendezvous with French Cinema in Paris later this month.
He will be given the French Cinema Award during a glittering ceremony at the French Ministry of Culture at a ceremony on 18 January.
Poupaud’s career has stretched across almost four decades, having begun his acting debut at the age of ten in City Of Pirates, directed by Raoul Ruiz, with whom he went on to make a further five critically acclaimed films.
Melvil Poupaud and Amanda Langlet in Eric Rohmer’s A Summer’s Tale Photo: Les Films du Losange During his career Poupaud has worked with many of France's most respected directors,...
He will be given the French Cinema Award during a glittering ceremony at the French Ministry of Culture at a ceremony on 18 January.
Poupaud’s career has stretched across almost four decades, having begun his acting debut at the age of ten in City Of Pirates, directed by Raoul Ruiz, with whom he went on to make a further five critically acclaimed films.
Melvil Poupaud and Amanda Langlet in Eric Rohmer’s A Summer’s Tale Photo: Les Films du Losange During his career Poupaud has worked with many of France's most respected directors,...
- 1/6/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Producer is France’s Ts Productions, whose credits include Golden Bear-winner ’On The Adamant’.
France TV Distribution has taken worldwide rights to Giulio Callegari’s debut feature Robot T-0 now in production in France. It is selling the film at Rome’s Mia film market this week.
Callegari is best known in France for co-writing and co-creating Canal+ hit series All the Way Up (Validé) and as a co-writer on French anthology film Selfie that explored humans’ relationship with technology.
Robot T-0 is set in a near future where robots have replaced humans in every household. The film follows a...
France TV Distribution has taken worldwide rights to Giulio Callegari’s debut feature Robot T-0 now in production in France. It is selling the film at Rome’s Mia film market this week.
Callegari is best known in France for co-writing and co-creating Canal+ hit series All the Way Up (Validé) and as a co-writer on French anthology film Selfie that explored humans’ relationship with technology.
Robot T-0 is set in a near future where robots have replaced humans in every household. The film follows a...
- 10/13/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
The Oldenburg Film Festival has picked two iconoclast filmmakers to honor for its 30th anniversary edition: French actor/director Isild Le Besco and Canadian producer Jen Gatien. Both women have carved out unique paths in independent cinema, defying conventions and expectations.
Le Besco has worked in front of the camera since she was eight, and by her early 20s was already a face of French auteur cinema, with two César nominations — for her performances in Benoît Jacquot’s Sade (2000) and Cédric Kahn’s Roberto Succo (2001) and a best actress honor in Venice for Jacquot’s L’Intouchable (2006).
Her directorial debut, 2004’s Demi-Tarif (Half-Price), the story of three young siblings, Romeo (Kolia Litscher), Launa (Lila Salet), and the youngest, Leo (Cindy David), left on their own in a rundown Paris apartment, was an unmediated look into the world of childhood and drew praise from the likes of Mia Hansen-Løve, whose review,...
Le Besco has worked in front of the camera since she was eight, and by her early 20s was already a face of French auteur cinema, with two César nominations — for her performances in Benoît Jacquot’s Sade (2000) and Cédric Kahn’s Roberto Succo (2001) and a best actress honor in Venice for Jacquot’s L’Intouchable (2006).
Her directorial debut, 2004’s Demi-Tarif (Half-Price), the story of three young siblings, Romeo (Kolia Litscher), Launa (Lila Salet), and the youngest, Leo (Cindy David), left on their own in a rundown Paris apartment, was an unmediated look into the world of childhood and drew praise from the likes of Mia Hansen-Løve, whose review,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sales to kick off this week in Venice.
France TV Distribution has boarded Sylvain Desclous’ sensual French thriller The Victoria System (Le Système Victoria) and will kick off sales in Venice.
Based on popular French author Eric Reinhardt’s best-selling novel of the same name, Desclous’ third fiction feature is currently in production and stars Damien Bonnard and Jeanne Balibar, who also shared the screen in Ladj Ly’s Oscar-nominated debut feature Les Misérables.
The passion-filled story of power, sex and capitalism follows a man (Bonnard) overseeing the construction of the highest tower ever built in France whose life is...
France TV Distribution has boarded Sylvain Desclous’ sensual French thriller The Victoria System (Le Système Victoria) and will kick off sales in Venice.
Based on popular French author Eric Reinhardt’s best-selling novel of the same name, Desclous’ third fiction feature is currently in production and stars Damien Bonnard and Jeanne Balibar, who also shared the screen in Ladj Ly’s Oscar-nominated debut feature Les Misérables.
The passion-filled story of power, sex and capitalism follows a man (Bonnard) overseeing the construction of the highest tower ever built in France whose life is...
- 8/31/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: France tv distribution has launched sales on French director Benoît Jacquot’s upcoming crime thriller Belle starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Guillaume Canet.
The work is adapted from the 1951 novel The Death Of Belle by the iconic Belgian writer Georges Simenon who is best known for his novels about Paris detective Maigret.
Canet and Gainsbourg will play a couple leading a peaceful existence in a small provincial town. He is a teacher and she runs an opticians practice.
Their life is turned upside when Belle, a friend’s daughter who is lodging with them, is found dead in her room. The husband becomes the prime suspect as the only one at home at the time.
He finds himself subject to humiliating questioning by the police, ostracized by colleagues and treated with hostility by the local townspeople. In this small town where nothing is a secret the question on everyone’s lips is,...
The work is adapted from the 1951 novel The Death Of Belle by the iconic Belgian writer Georges Simenon who is best known for his novels about Paris detective Maigret.
Canet and Gainsbourg will play a couple leading a peaceful existence in a small provincial town. He is a teacher and she runs an opticians practice.
Their life is turned upside when Belle, a friend’s daughter who is lodging with them, is found dead in her room. The husband becomes the prime suspect as the only one at home at the time.
He finds himself subject to humiliating questioning by the police, ostracized by colleagues and treated with hostility by the local townspeople. In this small town where nothing is a secret the question on everyone’s lips is,...
- 5/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
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