This week, the public opinion further fermented due to the alleged sexual assault of the famous French actor Gérard Depardieu. On December 26, local time, as many as 56 well-known French filmmakers signed an open letter to support him, condemning some media and the public for "lynching" Depardieu before the law has reached a conclusion. way of doing.
Those who jointly supported Depardieu include former French first lady Carla Bruni and Depardieu’s ex-girlfriend Carole Bouguet. Bouquet herself is also a well-known veteran movie star in the French film industry, starring in classic works such as "Hazy Desire". She and Depardieu were lovers from 1996 to 2005, and they starred in as many as nine film and television works. .
Depardieu and Carole Bouguet in the film "You Don't Deserve Her"
This open letter was published in the French newspaper "Le Figaro". The signatories also include actors who have starred in blockbuster comedies such as "The Umbrella". The well-known French actor Pierre Richard (who has collaborated with Depardieu at least eight times), the British actress Charlotte Rampling who won the Berlin Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award, and starred in "The Bundle" Spanish actress Victoria Avril, who has starred in many Almodóvar works such as "Hold Me, Tie Me Up", and French actress Natalie Bey, who has won the French film's highest honor César Award four times (with Depa Diyo has collaborated with at least ten times) and others.
Depardieu and Pierre Richard in the film "The Lucky Man"
Depardieu worked with Victoria Averill in the film "Moon in the Ditch".
Charlotte Rampling and Depardieu
Overall, nearly half of the 56 signatories are women. Considering that Depardieu has been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, these women The actor's strong support for the "big-nosed love saint" is particularly crucial. The signatories of
said they did not want to comment on Depardieu's sexual assault allegations, but they felt they could no longer remain silent in the face of growing public opinion against the actor in recent weeks. "We are artists, writers and filmmakers, and it is in this capacity that we express ourselves. When public opinion attacks Gérard Depardieu in this way, so does (the film ) art itself. If he can be ruined in this way, it is also a failure of art for us. It is a death sentence for art; art that belongs to us." "Le Figaro" at Christmas The open letter was published on the day of the festival.
Most of these film actors who belong to the same era as Depardieu gave Depardieu a very high evaluation in the open letter. "Gérard Depardieu is a talented actor who is part of French art and has made outstanding contributions to the history of French art. He is part of this history and will continue to enrich it. To this end, France owes him a lot."
As for the issue of sexual assault, the view of the signatories of the open letter is: "We do not want to participate in the debate, we prefer to let the judiciary perform its duties. Gérard Depardieu may be the greatest of our time Actor, we cannot continue to be silent when we see these lynchings and this torrent of hatred that is inflicted on him. Because this hatred completely ignores the context of the matter and blatantly ignores innocence. The major premise of the presumption. Before the law makes a decision, everyone should be innocent, and Depardieu should also enjoy such rights. He should not be treated differently just because he is a celebrity in the film industry."
These signatures The reporter's emphasis on the presumption of innocence obviously coincides with French President Macron's previous views when he defended Depardieu. The latter also accused the outside world of "witch hunting" practice of skipping judicial decisions and reaching conclusions on their own, and refuted the statement that the French Minister of Culture was considering stripping Depardieu of the French Legion of Honor. After
’s open letter was published in the newspaper, French radio station RTL immediately interviewed Depardieu himself by phone.The latter said that he was not involved, but also admitted that the author of the open letter was none other than comedian Yannis Ezziadi, a friend of his daughter Julie Depardieu, and praised the dozens of signers "Very brave".
Gérard Depardieu and daughter Julie
