Industry professionals in the French film and television community have expressed their refusal to collaborate with actor Gérard Depardieu in the future. This decision comes following the release of a documentary that revealed instances of sexism and misconduct by the actor, who is currently facing a formal investigation for rape.
The film, titled “Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre,” aired on the French public channel France 2 on Thursday evening. This came after several women had come forward with accusations of Depardieu’s sexually inappropriate behavior, as revealed in an investigation by Mediapart last year.
The film featured clips of Depardieu’s visit to North Korea in 2018, commemorating the country’s 70th anniversary. Accompanied by a television crew and aware of being filmed, the actor made lewd remarks towards women, continuously sexually harassed a female translator, and also made inappropriate comments about a child riding a horse at an equestrian center. On Friday, the footage was denounced as “disgusting” by European Parliament member Manon Aubry, who identifies as left-leaning.
Director Fabien Onteniente, who collaborated with Depardieu on the 2007 film “Disco”, stated that he would not work with the actor again after viewing a documentary where actress Hélène Darras claimed she was assaulted by Depardieu on set. In an interview with FranceInfo news channel, Onteniente expressed that such behavior goes against his personal values and cannot be ignored. He also acknowledged the existence of a code of silence regarding sexual violence in the French film industry, which he attributes to the industry being a closed community with many instances of denial.
Darras recounted that Depardieu gave her an unwelcome and objectifying look and invited her to his dressing room. She declined, but claims he proceeded to assault her on set by forcefully touching her body. She stated that she was extremely frightened and that no one on set intervened. She also mentioned that she chose not to speak up at the time due to fear of being ostracized at a young age. However, she decided to file a formal police report against Depardieu in September after discussing the incident with the creators of a documentary.
Investigators are currently examining Darras’s complaint to determine if it is subject to a time limit or if formal action can be taken against Depardieu.
During a phone conversation that was recorded and featured in the documentary, Depardieu stated that he would not provide any remarks on the program’s content.
The film also featured an interview with actress Charlotte Arnould, who reported to the authorities five years ago that Depardieu had sexually assaulted her twice at his residence in Paris in 2018. At the time, she was 22 and Depardieu, a close friend of her father, was 70. In December 2020, Depardieu was formally charged with rape and sexual assault in this case. His legal team has refuted all claims made against him.
According to Arnould’s statements in the documentary, she was struggling with anorexia during the time of the reported assault and described it as a “complete nightmare”.
In October, Depardieu wrote a letter to Le Figaro in which he refuted all accusations and claimed that any interaction with Arnould was consensual. He stated that he was being unfairly targeted and publicly shamed by the media, and emphasized that he has never mistreated a woman.
Depardieu, one of France’s most famous actors, has appeared in more than 170 films and gained international fame with English-language roles. Despite being placed under formal investigation for rape, he has continued to work prolifically in French cinema in recent years. But he faced protests outside several singing gigs across France earlier this year, with women shouting “shame” and holding banners against sexual violence.
During the Thursday documentary, Sarah Brooks, an actress who worked with Depardieu in a TV series in 2015, stated that during a photo opportunity, he persistently tried to put his hand in her shorts despite her attempts to push him away. She spoke up to the TV crew about Depardieu’s actions, but he responded with “I thought you wanted to succeed in cinema,” and those present laughed.
According to the documentary, France Télévisions’ head of cinema and international development, Manuel Alduy, stated that he has halted any collaborations with Depardieu. He further expressed that it is unacceptable to glorify Depardieu.
“According to Marc Missonnier, the leader of France’s film producer union, Depardieu’s treatment of women in the film industry was deemed acceptable, which was a major error.”
Jean-Louis Livi, who was Depardieu’s agent for decades, told the documentary the star was an institution of French cinema. “I know Gérard Depardieu. He is neither a rapist nor a predator. He’s a monster, yes, but he’s also a sacred monster. He’s a monument.”
Source: theguardian.com
