French cinema has a sexual abuse problem. Why is it persisting?

For many American filmgoers, actor Gérard Depardieu is one of the iconic faces of French cinema, known for his leading role in “Cyrano de Bergerac” or for playing Dominique Strauss-Kahn in the 2014 film “Welcome to New York.”

But Mr. Depardieu has more recently gained notoriety as a sexual predator. More than a dozen women have accused the actor of sexual assault or harassment, and he is accused of raping a woman in 2018.

In December, the actor’s fall from grace seemed complete after a television broadcast of the documentary “Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre,” in which the actor was seen making sexist remarks while in North Korea in 2018.

But two weeks later, despite widespread condemnation, 56 stars of French cinema signed an open letter on his behalf. French President Emmanuel Macron defended the actor on national television, saying Mr. Depardieu had “made France proud” with his past cultural contributions. And Mr. Depardieu’s former agent called the actor “a monster, yes, but ... a sacred monster.”

It’s an issue not limited to Mr. Depardieu. The presentation of the César Awards, France’s top cinematic honors, on Friday were dominated by a speech by actor Judith Godrèche, in which she condemned the “level of impunity, denial, and privilege” in French cinema. Ms. Godrèche, now 51 years old, has accused two directors, Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, of sexually assaulting her while she was a teenager and they were both decades older. Both men have denied doing anything illegal, but it is only recently that their behavior has come under public scrutiny.

With all of the progress made by the #MeToo movement in allowing victims of sexual violence to be heard, why does it seem that French people are more willing to extend their trust to their cinematic icons instead of those who accuse them?

“The trend is moving towards listening to victims, but it still remains one person’s word over another,” says Bruno Pequignot, a sociologist and professor emeritus of arts and culture at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. “Meanwhile, there is a feeling that cinema stars exist above the common man, that their behavior lies outside the norm.”

“The artistic cult”

French actors have enjoyed a special star status since the 18th century. But starting in the 1950s and with the advent of the “film d’auteur” – films that reflected their director’s artistic personality – directors also began enjoying a unique place in the hearts and minds of the French.

Films themselves were soon granted “artistic legitimacy” and equated with intellectual creation – likened to works of art or literature – and their directors, usually men, elevated to the status of demigods, living outside checks and balances. That has endured and been extended to creative minds across the pond such as Woody Allen or Quentin Tarantino, as well as films’ leading men.

“The religious cult in France has been replaced by the artistic cult,” says Geneviève Sellier, professor emeritus of film studies at Bordeaux Montaigne University. “There is a vision of the male genius who is given free rein to express himself, the artist who exists outside of the law.” 

But some say that power has allowed French male film stars and directors to engage in borderline criminal behavior in the name of artistic creation. Industry insiders say there is often an element of seduction starting from the audition process and an expectation for young actresses to have physical relations with directors to accelerate their careers.

Thus, situations in which life imitates art – even when inappropriate – become more commonplace and thus tolerated, both on set and in the public eye.

“This is an industry that exists outside of societal norms,” says Fatima Benomar, the president of the women’s rights organization Coudes à Coudes. “A minor might kiss an older man in a film or have a nude scene, and it’s acceptable because it’s in the name of art, but obviously in real life, these things are illegal. So already they don’t obey the same rules.”

What makes this situation uniquely French, says Dr. Sellier, is partly due to a controversial theory by historian Mona Ozouf that in France, men and women must obey a “code of seduction,” as opposed to America’s “war of the sexes.”

“This myth of seduction, which is widespread among France’s cultural elite, is without a doubt responsible for our refusal to realize that masculine domination is an integral part of social relations, even in the private sphere,” says Dr. Sellier, “and a reason why France was so late on #MeToo.”

Incremental change

Still, the 2017 #MeToo movement has had a positive effect in breaking the code of silence surrounding sexual abuse in the industry. Filmmaker Christophe Ruggia was indicted on charges of sexual assault of a 15-year-old minor, following accusations by actor Adèle Haenel. And the industry has seen an increase in female directors and roles for strong female characters.

“There will always be narcissistic perverts in the industry, but we must be careful not to stigmatize all directors,” says Jonathan Broda, a film historian at the International Film & Television School of Paris. “I’m really in favor of education and respect. I always tell my female students to be on guard, keep their senses, and rise above.”

But women’s rights groups point to roadblocks that have made trusting sexual assault victims over their accusers more difficult in France. In addition to the special status France’s cultural male elite enjoy in their ability to promote the country’s soft power, says Dr. Sellier, French celebrities can also count on an exceedingly slow legal system.

Around 80% of rape cases are dismissed, and fewer than 1% end in a conviction, according to France’s High Council on Equality Between Women and Men. Though a 2018 law has helped better punish sexual harassment, sexual violence, and sexism, President Macron has refused to define rape as nonconsensual sex, in line with 11 other European countries.

“It’s hugely important for the government to be behind [sexual harassment and abuse] laws in order to create new societal norms,” says Violaine de Filippis Abate, a lawyer and activist with the nonprofit Osez le Féminisme. “There is still far too much ordinary sexism, as well as this idea that when a woman complains, she’s just exaggerating, that ‘it’s not that bad.’”

Oftentimes, media investigations have been more successful in unofficially “trying” French celebrities accused of sexual abuse in the absence of a formal legal decision. Figures like acclaimed film director Luc Besson – accused of rape in 2018 – have escaped a public lynching. And only time will tell the long-term effect Ms. Godrèche’s comments at the César Awards had. But Mr. Depardieu’s latest comments seem to have been one offense too many.

Several actors have since removed their signatures from the letter defending Mr. Depardieu. And though Mr. Macron did not retract his comments, he seemed to have realized their political toll, telling French journalists weeks later that he should have spoken up in the name of victims’ plight.

“In the case of Depardieu, the public has taken the law into its own hands, and he has been found guilty,” says Mr. Pequignot, the sociologist. “I think, if nothing else, going forward his case has strengthened the power of victims’ ability to be heard.”

Editor's note: The story was updated to clarify what Christophe Ruggia was indicted for.