Bertrand Cantat recruited by a large Parisian theater, the scandalous affair

Five years after he made the front page of Inrocks in full movement #MeToo, Bertrand Cantat is back in the media debate as the composer of Wajdi Mouawad’s next piece entitled Mother. Coincidence (or not) of the director’s calendar, this collaboration was announced shortly after the emergence of #MeToo Theatertarget = “_ blank”>, militant movement which denounces sexism in the performing arts.

“The fights for equality between women and men and the fight against violence and sexual harassment are in the process of lastingly transforming our societies, Explain Wajdi Mouawadtarget = “_ blank”> in a letter published on the Théâtre de la Colline website. If I adhere to it without reservation, I cannot under any circumstances support or share the sacrifice that some people make, at the expense of justice, of our rule of law ”. An argument that will not convince those who demand a simply ethical approach, and not on the fringes of justice.

In reaction to this affair, the Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot, usually shy on this kind of subject, commented at the microphone of France Inter: “I do not have to intervene in the management of hill theatertarget = “_ blank”>. I regret that Bertrand Cantat was invited there, however. ”

Another silence of feminist struggles

If the indignation is strong, it is because of the feminicide committed by the ex-singer of Noir Désir. In 2003, he killed his partner Marie Trintignant in Vilnius. He hits her with about twenty blows to the head, which plunges her into a deep coma. He refuses to call for help until the actress’ brother arrives and warns a doctor. The cerebral edema caused by the beatings caused the actress to die five days later, on August 1, 2003. Bertrand Cantat was then sentenced to eight years in prison. He will only make four and will be released on parole until 2011.

The artist has therefore served his sentence and for his defenders, he now deserves to reintegrate into society as he sees fit. But the subject remains very sensitive because its media and artistic presence reminds us how difficult it is to stem the problem of misogynistic violence. We can also see a confiscation of these spaces by the executioners, which only makes it more difficult for the victims and their allies to be heard.

This decision is not the only one to cause controversy in the world of live performance, since Wajdi Mouawad also refused to deprogram Jean-Pierre Baro, a director targeted by a rape complaint filed without follow-up. The latter is also one of the men targeted by #MeToo Théâtre. In the same vein, Richard Berry, accused of incest by his daughter Coline in August 2021, continues to appear in “Plaidoiries” at the Théâtre Libre.