Cannes Jury President Greta Gerwig On #MeToo Wave In France: “It’s Only Moving Things In The Correct Direction”
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With rumors of a bombshell #MeToo report about the French cinema industry knocking on the door of the Cannes Film Festival, this year’s jury president Greta Gerwig on Tuesday acknowledged the wave that’s out there in a way that festival boss Thierry Frémaux didn’t want to address at his press conference the day before.
“I think people in the community of movies telling their stories and changing things for the better is only good,” said the Barbie filmmaker at a press conference introducing the jury just hours before the festival’s opening night begins. “I’ve seen substantial changes in the American film community; I think it’s important to expand the conversation.”
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“It’s only moving things in the correct direction, keeping those lines of communication open,” said Gerwig about a press member’s query as to whether the current #MeToo climate is France is impacting the festival.
She later expounded, “I can’t speak to the timelines with movements like this. It’s evolving all the time, it’s not something that’s a destination we all reach together. It’s something we keep discussing and and figuring out how we want our industry in cinema to be.”
Gerwig mentioned that one of the positive outcomes of the #MeToo movement stateside was “the rise of intimacy coordinators that are now being built into films. I think of it in the same way as a stunt coordinator or fight coordinator. It’s an art, it’s about being building a safe environment.”
J.A. Bayona took a line in regards to #MeToo on par with Frémaux’s: “It’s not an issue that impacts the cinema, but it’s an issue that’s widespread. We’re here only for the films.”
Today’s remarks come in the wake of rumors that French website Mediapart was going to drop a big #MeToo exposé on a number of French filmmakers and talent, many of who have films in this year’s festival. That buzz has dissipated in recent days, but Frémaux was defensive Monday in a press conference about the festival being besieged with #MeToo rumors.
“If there are polemics, we try to avoid them,” said the Cannes Film Festival boss yesterday. “We would like to have a festival without polemics … the politics should be up on the screen.”
Mediapart correspondent Marine Turchi denied rumors of a list in an interview with Le Parisien newspaper over the weekend.
“Mediapart doesn’t publish lists but rather long, substantiated investigations with opposing points of view,” she was quoted as saying. “I don’t know where this rumor of a list has come from but it is unfounded.”
In response to the #MeToo movement in the country, Cannes booked the short film Moi Aussi from France’s #MeToo champion, actress and filmmaker Judith Godrèche, to fire off the Un Certain Regard section on Wednesday. The actress has accused director Benoît Jacquot of sexual abuse when she was a teenager. He has denied the allegation. She has gone on to lead a campaign to end what she calls the culture of silence around abuse of all types in the French film industry.
Cannes jury member Omar Sy was also asked today to field his take on the #MeToo movement in France: “People started speaking out, that’s a very good sign; conversations and discussion are ongoing,” he said. More and more people have the courage to speak out. This movement is underway; it’s clearly gaining strength. The film industry is highly visible and people talk about it.”
Gerwig also vocally supported the festival workers who are considering a strike during Cannes.
“I certainly support labor movements,” she said. “We’ve gone through this now with our unions. I hope the festivals and workers can form an agreement that’s good for them and supports the festival. This is important that people have protection and a living wage.”
This year’s Cannes Film Festival jury, led by Gerwig, are Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, U.S. actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Bayona, Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino, and Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.
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