According to a La Tribune survey, one in two French people believe that actors and directors accused of sexist behavior should not receive a César.
As the César ceremony approaches which will be held this Friday, February 23 at the Olympia in Paris, the newspaper The gallery commissioned a survey* whose results demonstrate “a stiffening of opinion on the subject of sexual violence in cinema“.
Entitled “The French and sexist and sexual violence in the cinema”, this study included several questions, focused on different age groups and interviewing women and men. Among these questions, some of them related to the fact that it is “suitable“or not, during the Caesar ceremony”not award the prize to a film when one of its actors or its director is accused (but not condemned by the courts) by one or more women of sexist behavior, sexual assault or rape“…
Also in question is the fact of “not financing a film”, “not promoting”, “no longer broadcasting on television”, “not making a film public” in the situations outlined above.
One in two French people believe that actors and directors accused of sexist behavior should not receive a César
The result in particular is that one in two French people considers that it is acceptable to “not award the prize to a film during the César ceremony when one of its actors or its director is accused (but not condemned by the courts) of sexist behavior by one or more women“. Furthermore, 67% consider it a “progress“that a convicted person cannot return to his profession after having served his sentence.
61% of French people are feminists
“This news which arouses compassion and anger undoubtedly explains the severity of a large part of those surveyed towards the accused men, to the point of undermining the presumption of innocence“, indicates Chloé Morin, who initiated this survey, in the columns of La Tribune.
Note also that 61% of French people are feminists, “with little difference between the sexes, since 57% of men and 65% of women agree to endorse this often reviled term“, specifies the newspaper. Find the full study here.
Remember that the Académie des Césars published a new press release on January 18 regarding the management of people accused of acts of violence for the upcoming ceremony, and the events surrounding the Césars. A year after publishing a press release in the wake of the affair surrounding the Almond Trees, the César office released, just before the announcement of the 2024 nominations, a new press release on this subject, soberly titled “Failure to highlight a person eligible for the Césars in the event of legal indictment”.
Here it is in full:
“On January 2, 2023, the Office of the César Academy announced that, out of respect for the victims, people who would be indicted by the courts for acts of violence would not be highlighted during the 2023 Ceremony .
For the 2024 Césars, it was decided that this measure of non-highlighting would be renewed and amplified to apply to all the systems organized by the Academy.
This decision was taken following the reflections carried out by a dedicated working group which consulted various personalities in the first half of 2023, and which presented the summary of its work to the House of Representatives (the jointly elected body which represents the all the professional cinematographic branches that make up the Academy).
A consensus emerged to decide that in the event of an indictment or legal conviction of a participant in an eligible film for acts of violence, particularly of a sexist or sexual nature, the person thus implicated would not be the subject of any spotlight.
This non-disclosure will have its effects for the entire duration of the criminal procedure or conviction.
This non-highlighting will have its effects for the entire duration of the procedure or the criminal conviction, and will apply not only on the evening of the Caesar Ceremony, but also within the framework of any other system organized by the Association for the Promotion of Cinema, i.e. for 2024: the Short Film Brunch, the César & Techniques Evening, the Revelations Evening, the Nominees’ Dinner, the César & Production Dinner, the presentation of the César for High School Students, A César at the School and Golden Nights.
In practice, without prejudice to the presumption of innocence, the person indicted or convicted will not be invited to any of these events organized by the Association.
The revelation of the indictment decision or criminal conviction may be the result of publicity given to a case by the national media. This revelation may also come from the victim who is a civil party or their lawyer, who may contact the Academy secretariat for this purpose, which will suggest that they call on an association or organization for the defense of victims of violence.
The reflection would continue after the 2024 Ceremony, in order to evaluate this new system
Finally, if at the end of the two rounds of voting, the voting members of the Academy decided to award a César to a person who is the subject of legal indictment, this vote would not give rise to any postponement of the award. César on stage or any speech by or for the person concerned, who will not benefit from any press coverage or any promotion on the various Academy media.
By mutual agreement between the Bureau and the Chamber of Representatives of the Academy, it was finally decided that the reflection would continue after the 2024 Ceremony, in order to evaluate this new system and to study all the avenues which could allow to increase it, while strictly respecting the rights of those involved.
The Caesar Office
To find the previous press release, released in early 2023, here it is.
See you on February 23
The 49th Cesar ceremony will be held on February 23. The list of nominations was revealed at the end of January.
The Animal Kingdom by Thomas Cailley leads the nominations for the 2024 César Awards (12 nominations), ahead of Anatomy of a Fall by Justine Triet (11) and I Will Always See Your Faces by Jeanne Herry (9).
* OpinionWay-La Tribune du Dimanche survey, sample of 1,057 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over. The interviews were conducted from February 7 to 8, 2024.