“After I spoke to the Caesars, there was silence”: Judith Godrech recalls her conversation and its results.

This morning, a guest at the Women in Motion conference organized by Kering, Judith Godrech, the face of the new #MeToo movement in France, spoke about her words and their consequences for her career.

to the question “Is the desire to act still alive and strong in you?Judith Godrech answers: “Cit is a difficult question. It comes in waves. I was doing a TV show last night, and there was Willem Dafoe, and I found him so intelligent, demanding. There was something very nice about it that made me say to myself, “They’re actually nice guys.”. “

and added: “Maybe I will become an actor again. After all, be an actor again, you know? Tongue exposure… there, yes. Then, I have to admit, it’s been the most silent since I spoke to Caesar…

You write an activist place with your words

“Besides, it’s a bit of a French problem. We have labels, we put people in boxes. In a way, in your words, you are writing an activist place. That is, you are an activist. It’s also where deep down, we can’t accept that a woman is the whole world. like men.”

When asked publicly, “How do you think this will affect your future career?Judith Godrech continues:Yes, I think it definitely weighs. Anyway, I can already see how much it weighs. This is specific. You know, I live a little day by day. They happened almost as if I was sleepwalking.”

Yes, I think it will affect the future

“It’s not that I haven’t made any decisions, it’s that I’ve lived pretty much most of my life, I’ve mostly not been a self-centered person who’s particularly focused on others. I’m still of a certain age, so I have to say , that it takes time to become “someone better”.

“At the same time, I find it difficult to ask myself all these questions because I have a feeling that today is very difficult. Today I say to myself “okay” and we’ll see tomorrow. But it is true that at some point I will have to start earning a living, work again. But otherwise I don’t know… I will sell ice cream!(laughs)

More broadly, regarding his conversation, Judith Godrech points out: “Yes, I feel like I understand a little better. It’s hard because when we’re in action, it’s hard to realize. There is such energy. It is not an energy of despair, but in any case, it is an energy that comes from very far away, an energy almost from childhood. I feel like I have the energy of a child who needs some form of justice, or even some form of reparation. This is a kind of progress and at the same time a responsibility.”

Sometimes I have moments of absolute despair when I feel like there is no point.

But do I feel that I understand? sometimes even. And I have moments of absolute despair when I feel like there is no point. In principle, it is very difficult. We talk, we talk. We understand, but suddenly we imagine something else. In particular, for example, a victim who publicly denounces sexual violence is also expected to be a perfect victim or perfect human being, that is, infallible.

It is very difficult because suddenly a face appears. Obviously, if you condemn something or try to change something in society, whoever wants to change will be waiting for you with Kalashnikovs. And they say, “When is he going to make the mistake of making us all jump on him?”

For reference, just a few months after she spoke out about the abuse she was a victim of, Judith Godrech presented a short film, Me Too, at Cannes, which honors those who break their silence. A title that echoes the slogan and symbol of sexual violence against women.

It all started in September 2023 with the series, an icon of French cinema. The French woman talks about her journey, but also about the influence of director Benoit Jacquet. He was 14 years old, she was 39 years old.

What followed was only a series of moments of bravery, when Judith Gaudre never stopped speaking on the radio or at the César Awards to invite those who share her scars. Fifteen days after applying on social networks – e-mail. The email address was made available to collect comments – the filmmaker received 5,000 views. Women, but also men.

Judith Godresh applauded after the screening of her short film Me Too:

A thousand people joined him to make this short film, which lasted about 15 minutes. Judith Godrech portrays her own daughter, Tessa Batlemy, walking down a Paris street in white, amidst a crowd of women.

Filmed in one day, the film is a sequence of gestures and looks, staged like a dance, to show speech as an action that can only exist through a collective. Get out of loneliness to become stronger.

At the end of the short film, Judith Godrech explains her project in voice-over and mentions some glorifying figures.

• Each year, 160,000 Children are victims of sexual abuse in France.

• 1 in 5 women is a victim of sexual violence.

• 1 in 14 people is a victim of sexual violence.

• 81% People are victims of sexual violence before the age of 18.

To report sexual violence, the number is 3919. It is available 24/7.

The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will last until May 25, 2024.