Breaking Silence: Women’s Voices in French Cinema Revolution

2024-02-25 15:27:00

The observation is of implacable cynicism: controversies and scandals are always a recipe. In the midst of the MeToo movement, when accusations of sexual abuse were more often mentioned than cinema, the Césars achieved their best audience in recent years: 1.8 million viewers, compared to 1.7 last year and 1 ,3 here it is in 2022.

From this evening, marked by the historic victory of Justine Triet (only the second woman crowned best director and fifth to win the César for best film), we will probably remember less the six trophies for the excellent Anatomy of a Fall, a length ahead The animal kingdom, as well as the very committed speech of Judith Godrèche. “For some time now, I’ve been talking, but I can’t hear you,” she said Friday evening on stage. A whisper, half a word, that would be enough. Silence has been a driving force for 30 years. The truth doesn’t hurt: it’s just a scratch on the shell of our strange family.”

She explained this speech in an interview with Le Parisien. “It was very distressing, I had the impression of entering a completely closed fortress, of arriving at a dinner where some people would have preferred that I not be there. I had to follow through on my approach. That I look this industry straight in the eye, during a ceremony that celebrates French cinema.” Before concluding: “For me, the next step is to surround myself with people and to 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.”

On stage, Valérie Lemercier, Bérénice Bejo and Justine Triet had already praised her commitment. After the ceremony, these included Audrey Diwan (she praised her “courage to find the right words, to say her truth, out loud in front of everyone”), Daphné Roulier, Anna Mouglalis (“We have to make things happen all together . A better world can open up”), Léa Drucker (“If cinema can serve as an expression, a revolt against abuses of power, I find that very good”), Pio Marmaï (“It is necessary that the speech is freed”) or Marlène Schiappa (“may all those who applaud Judith Godrèche’s magnificent speech also applaud and support their daughters, nieces, neighbors, students”), who publicly gave her their support.

As we can see, it is above all women who have stepped up to the plate. This is probably just the beginning. After this evening, all silence will become deafening. The “revolution” in French cinema that Judith Godrèche dreams of is perhaps well underway.

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