Feminist activists stuck posters in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday in front of the Salle Pleyel and the headquarters of the Academie des Cesar in Paris to denounce Roman Polanski and demand the cancellation of the ceremony on Friday.
“Violanski: do you really want to live in a world where a pedophile criminal is nominated 12 times for the Cesar?”, “Violanski the Cesar of shame”, are some of the messages from the group Collages Feminicides, which has been covering the walls for several months from Paris and other French cities to denounce violence against women.
They were glued two days before the 45th Cesar ceremony to be held Friday evening at the Salle Pleyel, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris.
“Public accomplice – cinemas accomplices”, accuses another of these collages, whose photos have been published on social networks.
The annual high mass of French cinema promises to be under tension.
Feminist associations have in particular called for demonstrations against the twelve nominations for Roman Polanski’s film “J’accuse”, leading the nominations with “Les Miserables” by Lad Ly (12 also, counting that for the public price).
As a part of public opinion, they no longer accept that the Franco-Polish filmmaker receives honors, whereas he has been targeted since November by a new rape accusation and still being prosecuted by the American justice within the framework of ” a procedure for the misappropriation of a minor launched in 1977.
“In 2020, it is not acceptable to protect pedophile criminals with excuses like + art is worth more than all +”, explained Camille Lextray, of Collages Feminicides to AFP.
Their messages, which have been displayed for months, target Roman Polanski in particular since the release of “J’accuse” in November and the announcement in late January of his 12 Cesar nominations.
“This separation of the man and the artist, this hypocrisy of the Academy of the Caesars too, who had excluded Polanski (as president of the ceremony in 2017, editor’s note) for in the end two years after covering him with nominations, c ‘is extremely disturbing, “she said. “We are given simulations of evolution and improvement. In reality, nothing changes.”
“We demand that the ceremony be canceled because there is a deep questioning of the Academy of Caesar that must take place,” she said again.
