The César Awards—France's equivalent to the Oscars—has been mired in controversy ever since veteran filmmaker Roman Polanski's An Officer and a Spy received 12 nominations. And on Friday, as Polanksi won best director at the awards ceremony on Paris, several actresses walked out.
An Officer and a Spy is about anti-Semitic persecution of French army Captain Alfred Dreyfus and his wrongful treason conviction in the 1890, and won a total of three awards on Friday night. Polanski and his crew skipped the awards function fearing massive protests. In a statement Thursday provided to The Associated Press, the Paris-based Polanski said the ceremony was turning into a “public lynching.” Addressing the new rape accusation against him and other allegations over the years, he said: “Fantasies of unhealthy minds are now treated as proven facts. We know ahead of time how this evening will play out.”
Women's rights activists had called for a boycott of Friday's event and anti-Polanski posters and graffiti were put put at the venue of the awards function. Amid the backlash and boycott calls, the entire board of César Awards had resigned last month.
After Polanski's wins was announced, actress Adèle Haenel, who has said she was sexually abused as a child by another director, walked out of the ceremony. She left the room saying "shame!", and was followed by director Céline Sciamma. Actress and comedian Florence Foresti, who was presenting at the ceremony, did not return to the stage after Polanski's award was announced. She later updated her Instagram story to a black screen with the word "disgusted".
The Polanski saga
Polanski's case assumes larger significance in a post #MeToo world, and just days after Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was convicted in his sexual assault and rape trial. Polanksi, 86, is still wanted in the United States decades after he was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled the country on the eve of sentencing. Polanksi, who has both French and Polish citizenship, has evaded extradition attempts by the US.
Despite the accusations, Polanski is still one of the most revered filmmakers in France, but his reputation took a bigger hit when former French actress Valentine Monnier accused Polanksi of an "extremely violent" assault and rape in 1975, when she was aged 18.
In 2017, Polanksi brought trouble to the César Awards after he was selected to head the jury. He, however, stepped down following backlash.
-inputs from AP, Reuters
