Will court be able to 'make distinction' between Gerard Depardieu the man and the 'genius' actor?

8 months ago

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00:00Gérard Depardieu, one of the most famous actors in France, is going on trial in Paris

00:05today for sexual assault.

00:07Depardieu has faced a series of assault and rape allegations over the years, but this

00:12is the first time he has actually gone to court.

00:16Today he's facing two women who accuse him of sexual assault from a film shoot four years

00:20ago.

00:21The 76-year-old actor has made more than 200 films and TV shows, including Cyrano de Bergerac,

00:26Jean de Flaurette, and the American film Green Card.

00:30He is the highest profile figure to face accusations in the French cinema world, which has been

00:35accused of dragging its feet in France's MeToo movement.

00:39We're going to talk more about this now with writer and journalist Bénédicte Martin.

00:43Bénédicte, welcome.

00:44You're also an ambassador for MeToo Media, which is an association for victims of sexual

00:48violence in media and in film.

00:52You know Gérard Depardieu well.

00:53In fact, he was once a friend.

00:55You would have called him a friend.

00:56You've seen him, observed him over the years, his behavior both on the set and in private

01:00life.

01:01Now, he has repeatedly denied abusing women.

01:04What are your thoughts?

01:05Do you believe him?

01:06No, absolutely not.

01:07For me, he's a liar.

01:09Everybody saw Gérard Depardieu since decades acting like this.

01:13And I say acting because we don't forget that Gérard Depardieu is an actor.

01:19And today this is his best role he will play today.

01:24So actors, they are paid for lying and Gérard is like this.

01:29So it will be very difficult for the court to make the distinction about who is Gérard

01:36and who he is embodied today.

01:39There have been many allegations over the years.

01:41As you said, decades.

01:42This is the first time actually a trial is happening.

01:44Why has it taken so long for a trial to happen?

01:47Because from my opinion, France is very late for the MeToo movement.

01:52I don't know.

01:53Maybe it's cultural.

01:54Perhaps it's because we are proud of a kind of South Sea culture or something very, yes,

02:02sexy.

02:03Something.

02:04But no, I think we are very late.

02:06And the justice in France is not at the level of the other country in the world.

02:12And there have been other cases before Gérard Depardieu.

02:14There was a director, Christophe Rougiat, who was found guilty of sexual assault of

02:18a minor.

02:19This was just a month ago.

02:20This was the French actor Adèle Haenel, who was brave enough to go public with the

02:24case.

02:25I mean, you say France has been very late on all of this.

02:27But is it now finally starting to turn around?

02:30I hope.

02:31I really want to hope this is a turning point.

02:35Because if Gérard Depardieu today will go face to the judge, it could be something very

02:42important.

02:43It could be a big message for the woman who will be arrested in France, say, OK, we are

02:49listening to you and you can confront your aggressor in the court and we are making

02:55all the process with you.

02:57So for me, it's a very good sign.

03:00But it's interesting because, as you said, France has been late when it comes with this

03:03sort of Me Too awakening.

03:05But we're talking about huge names in French cinema, people like Catherine Deneuve, who

03:09have stood up for Gérard Depardieu, someone like Roman Polanski, who is still very much

03:14admired here in France.

03:16Why does France have such an easy time forgiving, if you like, these people against whom they're

03:21having these allegations?

03:23In the feminist area, we used to say, don't be careful about the Deneuve syndrome.

03:32Because OK, it can be a friend.

03:34Gérard is really, really nice, really, really generous, really, really empathic.

03:39But he has another face with little people.

03:43When you have no power, it can be very, very, very mean.

03:47And so in France, I think people who are very famous can have an immunity, impunity, and

03:55they abuse a lot.

03:56And Catherine Deneuve, she's a friend of Gérard, Polanski, OK, he's protected and everything.

04:03But even Gérard was my friend before, he's not my friend anymore.

04:09So I put all my souvenirs in the back and I say, OK, I know how easy, how he is capable

04:18to do this.

04:19I saw him treating badly some women.

04:22So I trust the woman.

04:25And also, it seems like the French government is finally getting more involved.

04:29There was a parliamentary commission.

04:31Your association was called in to testify.

04:33Also several producers and actors here in France, including the Oscar winning French

04:37actor Jean Dujardin, called in to testify.

04:39Do you think anything will come out of that?

04:43When Jean Dujardin and the three other actors came, I don't think there is a real consciousness

04:50of what happened.

04:51I think they still protect us.

04:54And in France, we have to, we have to listen more to the woman.

05:00But it's very difficult because we have remarks that Macron, the president Macron, he has

05:05said last year that he was very proud of Gérard Depardieu.

05:10So in a month of a trial, the head of a country, the president said to the woman, OK, I don't

05:18care about what you say.

05:19I love Gérard as a citizen and as a president.

05:22So it's it's insane.

05:25It's not normal.

05:26Benedict, just to wrap up, we just have a minute left.

05:28What are your thoughts as this trial begins today?

05:30Do you think that justice will be served?

05:33I don't know.

05:34I don't know because I'm very afraid about the genius of the of the acting of Gérard.

05:40And I don't know which role he will have today, a hill man, a weak man, a good father, a good

05:47grandfather, an innocent man.

05:49So I'm very, very, very worried about this because he's genius.

05:56Don't forget it.

05:57It's genius is bad, but he has really talent for four years for hypnotized people, even

06:05the jury.

06:06And I think the justice will be here today and tomorrow.

06:10All right.

06:11Benedict Martin, thank you so much for coming in and sharing your experience here as that

06:15trial of Gérard Depardieu gets underway.

Will court be able to 'make distinction' between Gerard Depardieu the man and the 'genius' actor?

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