French Cesar Academy Implements Zero-Tolerance Policy on Sexual Violence, Suspends Members Under Investigation

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Ahead of this year’s ceremony, France’s Cesar Academy has pledged to avoid highlighting individuals who have been accused of sexual or physical abuse, and they are also making rule adjustments to restrict the voting privileges of any academy member under such legal scrutiny.

If a member ends up being found guilty, they will be dismissed from the Academy for as long as their punishment lasts.

If a member is involved in legal proceedings due to violent actions, specifically those that are sexist or sexual in nature, the Academy has stated that it will temporarily revoke the member’s voting rights during the ongoing process. If the member is ultimately found guilty and sentenced, their membership may be terminated completely.

On January 23, the Cesar Academy introduced a revised charter, pledging to combat all forms of violence and enforcing strict zero-tolerance policies for any allegations of sexual assault. This policy shift comes after several past scandals, with Roman Polanski’s 2020 Best Director award being the most prominent example. This decision led actress Adèle Haenel, who was then a two-time acting winner, to walk out of that year’s ceremony in protest and eventually withdraw from the film industry.

The Cesar Academy recently announced a new charter on January 23, vowing to eliminate violence and implementing zero-tolerance rules for sexual assault allegations. This change follows various previous controversies, with Roman Polanski’s Best Director award in 2020 being the most significant instance. This action prompted actress Adèle Haenel, a two-time acting winner at the time, to boycott the ceremony and ultimately leave the film industry.)

Two years down the line, the academy encountered a similar storm when promising actor Sofiane Bennacer (“Forever Young”) was nominated for the best newcomer award, but faced sexual assault allegations that had just been filed against him. The Cesar Academy swiftly removed Bennacer’s name from the nominations list, and later announced plans for broader regulatory changes to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future.

Last year, French cinema reached a significant point during the Cesar awards when actress and activist Judith Godrèche broke the industry’s silence (omerта) by urging attendees to cut ties with outdated practices, marking a pivotal moment in France’s own #MeToo movement.

As a passionate cinephile, I’d like to express this: “On the silver screen, let’s not portray heroines who retreat into seclusion off-camera. Let’s not pen revolutionary or empathetic characters and then discover, upon waking, that a director has mistreated a young actress—remaining silent about it.” – Godrèche from the Cesar stage.

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Cesars, an achievement that the French Academy plans to honor by bestowing an honorary award on Julia Roberts and asking Catherine Deneuve, a local legend, to oversee the event. Similar to this year’s Oscars, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” is predicted to receive numerous nominations; however, it may face tough competition from the popular hit of last year, “The Count of Monte-Cristo,” in the musical genre category.

The Cesar Awards are turning 50 this year, and they’re going to celebrate by giving an honorary award to Julia Roberts and asking Catherine Deneuve to host the event. Just like with this year’s Oscars, a movie called “Emilia Perez” is expected to get many nominations, but it might have a hard time beating last year’s hit “The Count of Monte-Cristo.

I was utterly captivated by Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winner, “Anatomy of a Fall”. This remarkable film swept the latest awards ceremony, claiming victories for Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor, Editing, and Original Screenplay. Incredibly, Triet and co-writer Arthur Harrari also took home an award for their exceptional screenplay at the Oscars too!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve got some exciting news for fellow movie enthusiasts! The nominations for the prestigious awards in 2025 will be unveiled on January 29th, with the grand ceremony taking place at the iconic Olympia Theater in Paris on February 28th. Can’t wait to see who takes home the coveted statuettes!

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2025-01-24 21:19