It is an understatement to say that the former agent of the stars and producer did not appreciate the questions of the environmental member who chairs the commission of inquiry in the National Assembly on the violence committed in the cinema.
“If it’s my trial, I size myself”. After the actors Jean Dujardin, Pierre Niney and Gilles Lellouche who obtained the favor of testifying to behind closed doors, Dominique Besnehard was heard this Thursday, March 13 in the framework of the commission of inquiry on sexual violence in the cinema chaired by the ecologist of Paris, Sandrine Rousseau. But the ex-stars agent, converted into the production (of the series Ten percent in particular) had a hard time keeping nerves.
Especially after the question of the deputy LFI Sarah Legrain on the case Gérard Depardieu. As a reminder, Dominique Besnehard was one of the 56 signatories of the gallery published in Le Figaro December 23, 2023 entitled “Do not erase Depardieu”. A defense of the ogre of French cinema which he will then say to regret. Her blood only went on when Sandrine Rousseau attacks her for ” denigrant remarks about the people who speak “And who” Send a message to the whole cinema ».
“It all starts to do well”
« But what are the denigrant words? You tell stories you see in the press “Reported the one who once defended the interests of the greatest stars, from Isabelle Adjani to Sophie Marceau via Jeanne Moreau or Nathalie Baye. Before adding, more and more upset: “Me, first, I did not Twitter and things that I said at one time when Gérard Depardieu … how many years ago? There is a given moment or it’s okay … what do you want to make me say? What did Depardieu appreciate it at one time? You are not there to moral, I’m sorry. You stop moralizing everyone. It all starts to do well. »»
Threatening to leave the National Assembly, Sandrine Rousseau reminded her that she was obliged to answer her questions. Then tried to refocus the debate by justifying his questioning about the “Denial remarks”. « When you speak, your word is important. She has it on the world of cinema, on the actors you know, on the directors with whom you work, on the world of production, advance Sandrine Rousseau. Your word, it has weight. And when you have comments about the release of this word that is #metoo which are minimizing the courage of women, behind it may send a message-and this is the question that I ask you-to the whole world of cinema which is to say: “I would protect you, I would protect the world of the cinema of women” “.
This hearing allowed Dominique Besnehard to return to the abuses of certain directors, while recognizing that times had changed, “And so much the better”. “The problem is that you want to summarize everything with little sentences”still regretted the godfather of Eva Green, to whom he had strongly advised not to play in The innocent by Bernardo Bertolucci, director of the very controversial A last tango in Paris. Sandrine Rousseau then denounced a certain complacency of French cinema vis-à-vis sexual violence, referring to Judith Godrèche, spearhead of the #MeToo movement in France, on the initiative of the creation of this commission of inquiry. And to conclude, with a certain compunction: “You often say that you are of the old days Monsieur Besnehard, but I would say: ” be also at that time ”. Because cinema needs you. »»