In a message published on her Instagram account, Wednesday February 21, actress Nora Hamzawi displayed her opposition to the release of Jacques Doillon’s latest film, “CE2”, in which she plays one of the main roles, after the release cause of the filmmaker for sexual violence by several actresses. The film’s producer, Bruno Pesery, confirmed on Friday the release of the film, scheduled for March 27.
“I do not support this decision which, in my opinion, represents contempt for the words of women,” she said in a “story”. For the actress, “what is happening in the cinema industry, and which I hope extends to other environments, is essential and important. This is the priority thing to support today.”
Alongside director Benoît Jacquot, Jacques Doillon is targeted in an investigation 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”, in following a complaint from Judith Godrèche, who filmed with him for “La fille de 15 ans”, released in 1989. The behavior of Jacques Doillon was also denounced by the actresses Isild Le Besco and Anna Mouglalis, who confided their testimonies to the World. The director responded by denouncing “the arbitrary denunciations, false accusations and lies” on the part of the three actresses.
“An invitation to awareness”
For Mr. Pesery, it is important that the decision to release the feature film “is not welcomed as an expression of deafness or indifference with regard to the accusations made against its author: they are serious, we took stock of it from the first hour”, he wrote in a press release, considering that it is not however possible to adapt a release “to a judicial calendar”.
The production house, Arena Films, justifies its choice by the teamwork which allowed the film – shot four years ago – to see the light of day, “whether it be the actors, the technicians, the service providers , producers, distributors, press officers or exhibitors”. It is “an invitation to awareness, dialogue and vigilance”, underlined the producer, insisting on the “nearly forty years” separating the production of the film from the facts of which Jacques Doillon is accused.
The film was shown at the Angoulême festival in 2021 and was presented to journalists at the start of the year. No information was given on its promotion upon its release.
