Numerous actors walked out of Frances Csar Awards, the countrys equivalent to the Oscars, after convicted rapist and disgraced director Roman Polanski took home one of the top prizes at the ceremony.
Nominated for 12 awards, Polanskis An Officer And A Spy had already garnered plenty of controversy before the award show even kicked off in Paris on Friday night, as the 21-person board that oversees the event abruptly resigned en masse earlier this month in protest of his nominations and the organizations opaque decision-making process.
Though Polanski who pleaded guilty in 1977 for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl refused to attend the award show for fear of a public lynching, he won best director for the film, which prompted multiple attendees to storm out of the ceremony.
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Polanski","slug":"roman-polanski","links":{"relativeLink":"news/roman-polanski","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.in/news/roman-polanski","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.in/news/roman-polanski"},"url":"https://action.news/archive/in/topic/roman-polanski"},{"name":"The Portrait of a Lady","slug":"the-portrait-of-a-lady","links":{"relativeLink":"news/the-portrait-of-a-lady","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.in/news/the-portrait-of-a-lady","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.in/news/the-portrait-of-a-lady"},"url":"https://action.news/archive/in/topic/the-portrait-of-a-lady"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">Adle forever. pic.twitter.com/Fhe9xSLxCK
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (@Portrait_Movie) February 28, 2020
Actor Adle Haenel, who was nominated for her performance in Cline Sciammas Portrait of a Lady on Fire, stood up and exited the Salle Pleyel after Polanski won the award, appearing to yell shame as she left the hall.
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Bravo, pedophilia! Haenel, one of the first high-profile actors in France to speak out about sexual abuse in the countrys film industry, said in the lobby.
Sciamma as well as several other attendees, including Portrait of a Lady on Fire actor Nomie Merlant and cinematographer Claire Mathon reportedly also left the venue after Polanskis win.
Bravo, pedophilia! Adle Haenel, star of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and the films director Cline Sciamma walking out after child rapist Roman #Polanski won the best director award at the Csars, #Frances equivalent to the Oscars. h/t @alucarda
pic.twitter.com/u4oI2N0c30
Bravo, pedophilia! Adle Haenel, star of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and the films director Cline Sciamma walking out after child rapist Roman #Polanski won the best director award at the Csars, #France s equivalent to the Oscars. h/t @alucarda
Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) February 29, 2020
pic.twitter.com/u4oI2N0c30
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The 86-year-old director has been the target of a storm of criticism since fleeing the United States for France in 1978 before he could be sentenced for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.
A number of other women have accused Polanski of sexual assault in recent years, including French model and actress Valentine Monnier, who said the Oscar-winning director violently raped her in the 1970s when she was 18.
Polanski has denied the allegation and continues to make films that are regularly honored in the international awards circuit.
Distinguishing Polanski is spitting in the face of all victims, Haenel told The New York Times in an interview earlier this month. It means raping women isnt that bad.
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She went onto describe Frances Me Too paradox, noting the muted reaction to accusations of misconduct in the industry and the reluctance to make protecting women a priority.
It is one of the countries where the movement was the most closely followed on social media, but from a political perspective and in cultural spheres, France has completely missed the boat, Haenel added.
The actor spoke out last year about being abused as a child by director Christophe Ruggia between the ages of 12 and 15. Ruggia, who initially denied the claim, was arrested in January and charged by French authorities for sexual aggression against a minor by a person of authority and sexual harassment, according to Variety .
Police fired tear gas at protesters outside the #Cesars2020 awards show, where controversial director Roman Polanski's latest film is nominated for 12 awards.
He pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor in 1977 but fled before sentencing. He's been a fugitive since. pic.twitter.com/d007ENohTV
Police fired tear gas at protesters outside the #Cesars2020 awards show, where controversial director Roman Polanski's latest film is nominated for 12 awards.
AJ+ (@ajplus) February 28, 2020
He pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor in 1977 but fled before sentencing. He's been a fugitive since. pic.twitter.com/d007ENohTV
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Protesters gathered outside of the Csar Awards earlier in the day and clashed with French police, who reportedly fired tear gas into the crowd.
The demonstration and Haenel and Sciammas walkout were applauded by many in Hollywood including Jessica Chastain, Thandie Newton, Rosanna Arquette and Rose McGowan, who tweeted , You have both done it. You are breaking the French system. Keep going.
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