“Condemnation of the system that supports the aggressors”: a forum of more than 100 actors and actresses has started in Cannes.

May 17, the opening day of Cannes, a tribune It was shared on social networks and published In the liberation columns. his title? “Cannes: Actors Condemn System That Supports Aggressors”.

As the festival prepares to begin its festivities with the opening of Maiwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, the words of this platform ring strong. It is written in the preamble:By rolling out the red carpet for men and women who have been assaulted, the festival shows that violence in creative circles can be carried out with complete impunity. More than a hundred actors and actresses welcome Adele Hennel’s decision to quit the cinema and no longer want to be silent.“

A week after the publication of this forum, AlloCiné gave the microphone to two of its signatories, Louise Chevilot, who is in Cannes as a member of the Queer Palm jury, recently for the poster of my film A My Only Desire, and Swann Arlaud. , in competition with Justin Triet’s Anatomy of the Fall.

Why this platform? And why did they want to sign? Here are their answers.

Louise Chevlot, actress : “This platform was launched in parallel with a new association of actors and actresses called ADA, Actors Association, initiated by 4 film actors who wanted to be interested in our rights as artists-performers. Let’s figure out the legislation together? How to become masters of tools in case of a problem? Very often things happen to us and we don’t know how to act. There is also a discussion group to share stories on set of violence, to tell each other how we are being silenced.”

“All of that takes a lot of courage. Between us. And above all, moving the lines. We’re going to bring in lawyers, lawyers, intimacy coordinators… see how we can put clauses in our contracts, how we can bind our agents with harassment issues, how they’ll be legally bound To protect us from speaking up… We’re learning different ways to protect actors as much as possible. If we know our rights, the more we’ll know how to protect ourselves. And it’s a job that’s very competitive.”

“Platform is not an initiative of the association. One of the actors of the association read us this text and we were all quite angry about what to expect in Cannes and especially after the Indiewire article. With the remarks of Fremo, who said that if Polanski’s film was not this year, it Because he wasn’t ready… I find it very difficult. And then there are all the signals sent by the festival… being silent. Once again you have to be silent because you’re afraid to speak.”

Queer Palm 2023 jury member Louise Chevlotia on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet:

“I went to Cannes as a Queer Palme juror, others went to the competition to present their films… This festival belongs to those who make films, it’s not a man’s festival. That is why it is very important to return it. The festival is largely funded by public money broadcast on French television, it is a public interest event and I think we should get it back here.

Making so many anti-feminist, anti-#MeToo remarks that go against what’s going on right now is a statement, it’s a posturing.

“I don’t have a solution, I’m just saying that at some point, we have to listen to society, we have to listen to women who have been heard very little. Making so many anti-feminist, anti #MeToo comments. , that are against what’s going on right now and against the society that wants to reconcile, I think we should take this into account and tell ourselves that these are not just sentences, this is a statement. This is a position, in front of these positions we say that we are against, we are many… we are more and more, There are many who do not speak, but agree, and we do not get tired.

Impunity is over. People will stop being silent.

Swan Arlodactor : The big problem is silencing orders. Moreover, we have arrested a prefect who prohibits rallies. Such are the relations of power, domination and orders of silence in the world of cinema. This forum does not condemn anyone by name. I am not in favor of a people’s court. (…) On the other hand, it is very important for me to say: today is over. Impunity is over. People will stop being silent. I say this, but I cannot say everything myself. You can’t say everything.”

“Why did you sign or not? If I don’t sign, we’ll say you didn’t sign. If I sign, I’ll have to talk about it. It’s hard. We really have. This feeling that I can’t say everything. Why? Because we We want to work. So it’s always difficult to take a political position, whatever it is. There’s always going to be people who are against it. But I think it’s really, really important to say that impunity is over. There’s an end to people in victim positions who They lose everything for talking about what they’ve been through. It’s impossible.”

“It’s also a way to respond to Adele Hennel’s letter. To say: we don’t forget. I think something is in motion.”

to read the petition

At the same time, in support of this platform, he shared photos of collages in the city of Cannes. “We, the filmmakers and film technicians, refuse the complicity of cinematography with aggressors and abusers.