Published on the magazine’s website Ellethis forum was initiated by the mathematician Michel Broué, companion of the actress Anouk Grinberg who had denounced the laxity and blindness of the seventh art towards Gérard Depardieu.
“It is revolting that theater and cinema serve as a cover for abuses that have nothing to do with art” : around a hundred men from the world of culture including director Jacques Audiard provide their support for the MeToo movement. The column, published Tuesday on the magazine’s website Ellewas initiated by the mathematician Michel Broué, companion of Anouk Grinberg.
“For several years since the #MeToo revolution has spread, we have understood how male behaviors sometimes considered harmless were experienced by women for what they were: abuse”they write in the text.
This is signed in particular by the actors Reda Kateb, Swann Arlaud, Mathieu Amalric, the directors Jacques Audiard (whose film Emilia Perez will be in competition at Cannes) and Emmanuel Mouret, the directors Alain Françon, Thomas Jolly (also artistic director of the ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris), the historian Benjamin Stora, the journalist Edwy Plenel…
“Contrary to what we sometimes read, we do not think that “we are attacking men”. The practice of equality is desirable, it takes away neither freedom nor pleasure but increases them; it embellishes relationships,” they express. Before adding: “We refuse to recognize ourselves in this hegemonic masculinity. For example, having to reserve gentleness and care for the feminine gender is absurd: a man cries, a man loves, a man can be upset.”
For the signatories, “it is revolting that theater and cinema serve as a cover for abuses that have nothing to do with art”. Likewise, “it is revolting to use one’s prestige, whatever it may be, to abuse the admiration it arouses”. At stake according to them: “Spare more than half of humanity from serious attacks.”
The cinema industry has been shaken for several months by accusations of sexual violence which allegedly took place for years. Actress Judith Godrèche became a spearhead of this movement, after filing a complaint in early February against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, for sexual and physical violence dating back to her adolescence, which the latter deny.