The 77th Cannes Film Festival will kick off on May 14th local time, and many filmmakers have already arrived there. However, the layers of haze hanging over the Cote d'Azur show no signs of dissipating.
Just last weekend, at least 300 filmmakers, including directors Jean-Pierre Dardenne, John Landis, Louis Garrel, etc., issued a joint open letter to support the strike action that the film festival staff had previously claimed to be held. The open letter was drafted by the "Poor Under the Screen" organization behind the strike action, and the signatories also included Thomas Hakim, the producer of "The Light of Imagination", a film participating in the main competition unit of Cannes this year, and photographer Agnes Godard.
On the other hand, the French film industry has been hit by a series of highly controversial sex scandals since last year. From the well-known actor Gerard Depardieu to several well-known directors, they have all been accused by multiple women under their real names. People from all walks of life, including President Macron, have chosen to take their own sides, causing a certain split in the French film industry.
Judith Godrech's short film "Me Too" to be screened in Cannes
As the biggest annual event in the French and even European film industry, the Cannes Film Festival is naturally not immune to this. Last week, the organizers of the film festival announced that they would screen actress Judith Godrech's short film "Moi aussi" (Me Too) at the opening ceremony of the Un Certain Regard section on May 15. The film tells the painful memory of her being sexually assaulted by two well-known directors, Benoit Jacques and Jacques Doillon, when she was young. The official press release of the Cannes Film Festival stated that it hopes to "give voice to these witness testimonies" by screening the film.
Later, rumors emerged in the French media and on the Internet that more explosive sex scandals might be exposed during this year's Cannes Film Festival, and that more heavyweights in the film industry might be accused. Le Figaro even published an investigative article titled "#MeToo: The film industry is in a cold sweat before the Cannes Film Festival", revealing that during the film festival, as many as a dozen famous French directors, actors and producers might be publicly accused, but the article did not specify which ones. Therefore, the outside world could not help but speculate, if this is true, how should the organizers of the film festival respond? Should they make an emergency cut, put the parties involved in the unwelcome list, and cancel the screening of their films in Cannes; or should they keep quiet and pretend not to see it?
On the other hand, in June, shortly after the Cannes Film Festival, Dominique Boutonnat, the head of the French film agency, the French National Center for Cinema and Animation (CNC), will go on trial for sexually assaulting his godson. Although some people believe that everyone should uphold the position of presumption of innocence and not make a prejudgment on behalf of the law, many people in the film industry believe that in order to avoid being accused of something, Boutonnat must keep a low profile. Some even say that he should have temporarily stepped back before the trial. Therefore, he must not appear at this year's Cannes.
Judith Godrech, who has become a leading figure in the anti-sexual assault movement in the French film industry, previously stated publicly in a speech to the French Parliament that "there must be someone with a clean record and who is beyond reproach to lead the Film Bureau, because the industry is already terminally ill." On the afternoon of May 12, local time, a petition calling for the removal of Butonna quickly spread in the French film industry and received more than 500 signatures within a few hours.
In the face of many controversies, Iris Knobloch, president of the Cannes Film Festival, said in an interview with the media last week that she was "closely following developments." If someone was indeed publicly accused of sexual violence during the film festival, "we will ensure that we make the right decision based on the specific circumstances after consultation with all parties, including the parties involved. But we will also consider the work itself and see what is best for the film itself, because in Cannes, movies are the real stars." As for the report in Le Figaro that the current president, who is a lawyer, has found a new crisis management public relations company for Cannes to cope with the possible storm, Knobloch herself did not respond positively.
In addition, Knobloch reiterated that Cannes has always been committed to increasing the participation of female filmmakers. However, of this year's 22 main competition films, only 4 are directed by women. Compared with last year's 21 main competition films, there were as many as 7 female directors. This is a big step backward. Regarding this issue, the chairman emphasized that he and artistic director Frémaux do not support the introduction of a quota system or the forced allocation of quotas. "Because the quota system is a double-edged sword, if it is not done well, it will make female filmmakers feel that their self-esteem is hurt. So we must stick to our responsibilities and make selection decisions based entirely on the quality of the film itself."
Iris Knobloch, 61, will take over from Pierre Lescure as the president of the Cannes Film Festival in July 2022 for a three-year term. She, who once served as the executive president of Warner Bros. Pictures, also said in an interview last week that being appointed to this position is the dream of every movie lover, especially since she is the first woman to hold this position. "This is almost a double dream come true. Women have waited 75 years for this moment, and its symbolic significance is very strong. Last year, when I officially took up my position for the first time, many female compatriots expressed their support for me. This feeling is good and a positive signal. Many people told me that my ability to hold this position is also an inspiration to them and makes them proud. Obviously, Cannes is really short of women."
