This is a case that plunges the profession into embarrassment. On the movie poster The Almond Trees, directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, actor Sofiane Bennacer, 25, is the subject of three indictments, two for rape of former companions and one for violence against a spouse, as revealed The Parisian and Release. In a long message posted on Instagram, he claims his innocence: “Does the presumption of innocence still exist? Or are we in a state of lawlessness, a state where the simple baseless accusation can destroy a life? »
“A pure media lynching”denounced Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, his companion, in a press release, Friday, November 25, who assumes to have chosen this young actor while having heard rumors about him. “My producers expressed fears and reluctance, but I told them that these rumors did not stop me and that I could not consider making the film without him. » She continues: “As for me, I had gotten to know Sofiane Bennacer a few months ago at work, especially during the long rehearsal period, and to be completely confident about her human qualities: when you film someone, you “sees” who is in front of you. »
Selected from the list of thirty-two actors shortlisted for the Césars of female and male revelations, Sofiane Bennacer was finally excluded. The Académie des César ended up taking note of the “information published by the press concerning the indictment of the actor and the judicial review imposed on him”.
Repeated alerts
It is precisely this absence of reactions, despite repeated alerts, from the casting to the reception of the film, which is denounced today. Two cinemas – L’Ecran de Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) and Le Concorde in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée) – have already announced that they have withdrawn The Almond Trees of their programming, while calls for a boycott begin to circulate on social networks. On Instagram, the very active #metoothéâtre collective denounced the“omerta” of occupation: “The structure of our professions and of society is built on the protection of aggressors and the “silence” of victims. Once again, this system is verified in this case with a production that discards its responsibilities relating to labor law. »
On Instagram, the very active #metoothéâtre collective denounced the “omerta” of the profession
It all started on the boards. In January 2021, at the National Theater of Strasbourg (TNS), Sofiane Bennacer is accused of rape by one of his comrades. The facts she denounces date back to 2018, when they were both students at La Filature in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin). They were then a couple. The management of the establishment claims to have collected at the time “no testimony, no information that could have put us in the ear”.
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