#MeToo Arrives At French César Awards As Actress Judith Godrèche Makes Impassioned Speech For New Era Of Truth In French Film Biz: “The World Is Watching Us”
24.02.2024 - 00:03
/ deadline.com
Actress and director Judith Godrèche made an appeal at the French César Awards on Friday for a new era of truth around the issue of sexual abuse and harassment in France’s cinema world after decades of silence and denial.
“For some time now, voices have been unleashed, the idealized image of our fathers has been shattered, power almost seems to be in a state of turmoil, could it be possible for us to look at the truth in the eye?,” she said in specially programmed slot.
“To take on our responsibilities? To be actors, actresses of a world that is questioning itself?, “ she asked. “For some time now, I’ve been talking and talking, but I can’t hear you, or only a little. Where are you? What are you saying? A whisper. Half a word.”
Her appearance at the César ceremony comes three weeks after the actress filed an official police complaint against director Benoît Jacquot for “rapes with violence of a minor less than 15-years-old” and Jacques Doillon for sexual assault. Both directors
Her accusations date back to the late 1980s and early 1990s when Godrèche was in a relationship with Jacquot, which she says began when she was only 14 years old and he was 40.
Godrèche has said she was “under his influence” and that the relationship was wrong.
“It’s hard to stand here in front of all of you tonight. There are so many of you. Yet, in the end, I suppose it had to happen. Face to face with each other, looking into each other’s eyes,” she said.
Godrèche, who is now 51, lived with Jacquot for six years and appeared in his films The Beggars and The Disenchanted (for which she was nominated at the Césars as Best Promising Actress in 1991) before leaving him in her early 20s.
She went on to build a successful career as an actress at