“Those who have sent me messages can be counted on the fingers of one hand. » After her speech on Friday during the Césars Ceremony, where she notably denounced the “level of impunity, denial and privilege” in the cinema world regarding sexual violence, Judith Godrèche once again deplored the “silence” of the profession, in an interview with Le Parisien, published on Saturday February 24.
“First, the silence of the adults from when I was a teenager, who are hiding in the woods: even if I understand that these people have to deal with guilt, with the difficulty of saying things, it is still quite astonishing. Then, the silence of the cinema industry in general,” explained the actress, who filed a complaint against directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon for sexual and physical violence which dates back to her adolescence. An investigation was opened against the two directors for “rape of a minor under 15 years old by a person in authority, rape, violence by a partner, and sexual assault on a minor over 15 years old by a person in authority”
During her speech on Friday before the “curious family” of French cinema, Judith Godrèche notably denounced the “illicit trafficking of young girls” in the world of cinema. “I talk, I talk, but I can’t hear you, or barely. Where are you ? What do you say ? A whisper. Half a word,” she said Friday evening.
“I won’t let go.”
In her interview with Le Parisien, the 51-year-old actress explains in particular that she was “very hesitant” to express herself during the ceremony. “It was very distressing, I had the impression of entering a completely closed fortress, of arriving at a dinner where some would have preferred that I not be there,” she continues. “[But] I had to complete my approach [his complaint against MM. Jacquot and Doillon]. That I look this industry straight in the eye, during a ceremony that celebrates French cinema,” she explains.
If she says she is “very touched by the fact that people” applauded her standing after her speech on Friday, only the next few days will tell “if it is the expression of a common feeling. (…) If it was a gesture that was not rooted in a conviction and a desire for things to change, then nothing would happen.”
While several actresses have denounced in recent weeks the violence they allegedly suffered from MM. Jacquot and Doillon, Judith Godrèche is now calling for “changes” at the head of cinematographic institutions, evoking in particular the president of the National Cinema Center (CNC), Dominique Boutonnat, indicted for sexual assault on his 21-year-old godson. “How can we build trust so that words can be loosened? How can training against sexual and gender-based violence be organized at the CNC? “, she asked. The actress is now waiting for “real measures so that actresses, actors, technicians can work in safety”.
“For me, the next step is to surround myself with people and think about concrete solutions. I will continue, I will not give up. Even if it is very painful, I accept the feeling of “betraying” in some way the great family of cinema,” she warned.
