Mr President of the CNC, dear Dominique BOUTONNAT,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
The voices that have been raised for several days, the debates and the awareness that they trigger force us. These voices remind us all that violence against women continues in our society.
At work and at home. On the streets, in transportation, in the privacy of their homes. But we must refuse to make it a fatality. It is to combat this violence that the President of the Republic has made equality between women and men the great cause of the five-year term.
The entire Government – especially Prime Minister Edouard PHILIPPE, the Guard of Seals Nicole BELLOUBET, the Minister of the Interior Christophe CASTANER, and the Secretary of State responsible for equality between women and men, Marlène SCHIAPPA – is mobilized to end the feeling of impunity of the aggressors.
Too few victims of sexual violence dare to file a complaint. And when they do, the complaints still come to too little. A little more than two-thirds of them are classified as missing items. Either because the author could not be identified, or because it was not possible to gather evidence against him.
It is a reality, and I understand that it can be discouraging. But we will fight it, tirelessly. Through the Strengthening the Fight Against Gender-Based and Sexual Violence Act, we have extended the limitation period from 20 to 30 years for sexual crimes against minors. To facilitate the filing of complaints, we launched an online reporting platform earlier this year for sexual violence. And a national listening number, 3919, guides and accompanies victims and witnesses.
Collective awareness must translate into awareness for each of us. Because no milieu, no sector, no part of our society is spared by gender and sexual violence and harassment. None. Not even the state. Not even the Ministry of Culture, which, as you know, was shaken by the unspeakable actions of one of its former senior officials.
My thoughts go first to all the women who have had to endure them, whether they are employed by the department or not. All these women who did not always feel they had the space to speak, to be listened to and protected by their administration. Who felt, at times, that she was slow to react.
The scandal, over and above the facts, is that this individual was involved for so many years. Thanks to the courage of some of the women I want to salute, the facts have finally come out.
We took immediate action. The individual in question was suspended from duty as soon as the Department became aware of his actions in June 2018. Following a disciplinary procedure, the President of the Republic pronounced his dismissal from the civil service, on my proposal, by decree of January 11, 2019. As we speak, a legal proceeding is still ongoing. Psychological and legal support is in place for all victims who request it, whether they are still working in the department or not. We have decided to reactivate this listening cell. It can be reached by phone at 07 87 75 53 70 and by email at supportpsy@audiens.org.
This case is indicative of the omerta that has long prevailed in terms of gender and sexual violence. An omerta that nourishes the feeling of impunity of the aggressors. An omerta that has not yet been lifted.
This violence is the only one whose victims feel guilty and whose perpetrators believe they are innocent. This aberration must end. We need to change the sides of shame, fear and guilt. It is above all the responsibility of the State, but also, more broadly, that of each of us.
That of each of you, professionals of the French cinema and audiovisual. The news has come to remind us that, as in all our society, patriarchy reigns there shamelessly. She came to remind us that the law that too often prevails in this world is the law of silence.
When voices are raised to break this silence, we must listen to them. Wherever they come from. The presumption of innocence is a fundamental principle of our Republic. But I refuse to allow it to be accompanied by a presumption of falsehood for the victims. When they speak, their words are too often tainted with suspicion, especially when they reveal assaults committed years or even decades before.
We have to admit that it takes time before we can talk. Sometimes it takes a long time. Our society does not have to decide when victims choose to come out of silence. It must create the conditions of trust, so that each victim is in a position to speak and be accompanied. Yes, it takes time and courage to talk. To dare to challenge the omerta. To put words on deep trauma. To counter threats. Intimidation. The feeling that “anyway, it’s useless”. The feeling that some are untouchable because their works protect them.
Talent is not a mitigating circumstance; genius, not a guarantee of impunity. Especially in your professions, where the body and the intimate are very often at stake. Where young talent has a desire to succeed, and people benefit from it. Where we must not confuse aura and hold. Don’t get me wrong: you will always find me alongside creators when it comes to protecting the freedom to create.
And it is not up to the State to set itself up as a censor, or judge of the choices of financing of works, and of the programming choices of television channels or cinemas. It is a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of those who make these programming or editorial choices.
Delphine ERNOTTE will surely have the opportunity to speak on this subject. But the work, however great it may be, does not excuse the possible faults of its author. The sanction is for the justice to bear it. And not in opinion court. The artist, the filmmaker, ladies and gentlemen, is, in law, a man or a woman like any other. A litigant like the others. No more, no less. Neither above nor below the others.
To all those who, like Adèle HAENEL, like all women who have faced unspeakable violence at the Ministry of Culture... To all those who dare to break the silence, I want to say two things:
- The first is that your word is necessary. Your word is a weapon.
It can save others from having to endure what you have had to endure. It can prevent the worst from happening again. Above all, it can give rise to a broader movement. Because one voice can call another. Then a dozen others. Then a hundred others. Sometimes one voice can make all the difference. That voice is the voice of the victims. It must also be that of those who know; who see; who hear; or even only those who wonder about inappropriate behaviour. Our collective responsibility is to call things what they are. To denounce them. To stop looking the other way. Sexual violence is not just about the victims. It’s about all of us.
- The second thing I want to say to those who dare to break the silence is that their word will not be in vain. It all starts with prevention. That is why I have decided that the payment of all CNC aid will henceforth be conditional on the fulfilment, by the companies that request it, of specific obligations in terms of prevention and detection of risks related to sexual harassment. This measure will be submitted to the TNC Board of Directors in the near future. It will then be up to the TNC to initiate a consultation with professionals to define the precise and concrete ways to fulfil this obligation. For my part, I am in favour of appointing references in the prevention and detection of risks related to sexual harassment, who are present on the team, on filming and during film promotions.
Dominique BOUTONNAT announced this morning the organization of specific training sessions on the prevention of harassment for film and audiovisual professionals. The NCC will help to put them in place as early as 2020. When the facts, unfortunately, happen, the floor must be open.
FESAC, which brings together employers' organisations in the performing arts, audiovisual and film sectors, is currently discussing with the trade union organisations of employees – in the first place those representing artists – an action plan for equality and against violence in these sectors. My department has supported and encouraged this work since its inception.
One of the key measures of this plan is the creation of an alert and listening cell for victims of violence and sexual and sexist harassment. And I decided to accompany its implementation, including financially, so that it is operational from the 1ster January 2020, for permanent and intermittent employees in these companies. That represents 178,000 women. That is a very important step.
All those who find themselves in a situation of harassment or violence will find the listening and support they need. We will be tough on gender-based and sexual violence.
If we are here today, it is also to talk, more specifically, about equality between women and men. Because parity is part of the solution.
Because if in a given environment more women are in positions of responsibility, then men will feel less “free”. I will soon receive, in the Ministry of Culture, associations that fight for equality between women and men, to exchange together on these subjects.
Parity and equality must become the norm in society as a whole. But cinema has a special responsibility. Because the 7e art has always been at the forefront of social struggles. Because its images resonate in us. They shape the world, and the perception we have of it. They can also, if we are not careful, promote and install harmful stereotypes. They influence our unconscious, our collective imagination, sometimes even our self-esteem.
By only representing half of our society on the screen, we make the other half feel like they don’t exist. That’s unacceptable. And above all, it’s a waste. Closing the door to cinema to half of humanity is a waste, because it deprives us of half of the talents.
More women directors, actresses, authors, technicians, it’s more diversity for creation. It’s more diversity in the views shared on the big screen, and thrown on the world. Cinema has everything to gain, with more women.
With women who are better considered. Better paid. Better represented. We’re seeing it right now in our rooms. We’re seeing it:
- With Portrait of the burning girl, by Céline SCIAMMA
- With Papicha, from Mounia MEDDOUR
- With Atlantic, by Mati DIOP
- With You Deserve a Love, by Hafsia HERZI
- And we’ll see it, in a few days, with Proxima from Alice WINOCOUR
We have everything to gain by achieving equality in film. Today, we are still far from it. To achieve this, we must act. Without naivety or cynicism.
With method and pragmatism. Acting is the whole purpose of the Assizes that bring us together. I would like to commend the commitment of my predecessor, Françoise NYSSEN, who took the initiative, and Frédérique BREDIN. We also salute the mobilization of the 50-50 collective, with which my department has worked closely this year again.
With you, I want to take stock of the commitments made a year ago and chart the path that remains to be taken. Measures were taken at the end of the first Assizes, and I would like to come back to this, because taking action also means ensuring that our commitments are kept. That they are followed by results. They have been for a year.
We made a commitment to objectify inequalities. To quantify them, to be able to better denounce them. Since this year, all studies published by the CNC have included a gender component. And it is now mandatory to fill in, in the approval files filed with the CNC, gender statistics on technical teams and payroll. Objectifying inequality is the first step in addressing it.
This is essential because these statistics allow us to encourage parity. Based on these figures, we now allocate a financial bonus to films with equal production teams. Since January, 22% of approved films have benefited from it. This is still too little, of course. But we are on the right track: last year, less than one in six films was eligible.
A year ago, we made a commitment to make the TNC grant commissions equal. Today, they are all equal. They are not only at the level of their members, but also at the level of their presidencies. We also made a commitment to better showcase women’s films.
In support of heritage, and in image education actions. And progress is there. In 2019, 37% of films selected for arts and cultural education were directed by women, compared to 15% the previous year. In one year, we have made undeniable progress. It is a good start, but it is not enough.
We must go even further. I want the obligation to collect statistics on equality to be extended to audiovisual, distribution and exploitation.
At last year’s Assizes, public authorities made a strong commitment. I’m very pleased to see that this year what we have to talk about are the commitments you’ve made. You, men and women; professionals, entrepreneurs, creators. You have fully seized the subject, at the initiative of the 50-50 collective. I want to thank you for your advocacy.
In a few moments, you will sign the 50-50 charter for inclusion. It is the result of a long, collaborative, unifying process. Representatives from across the profession will commit to fighting discrimination and stereotypes. For French cinema to speak to everyone, it must speak of everyone. I also want to thank the distribution and exploitation companies.
On the occasion of the FNCF Congress in Deauville, they signed a charter on the distribution and exhibition in theatres of films made by women. It will allow us to see clearly how films made by women are exhibited, to promote the distribution of these films and to combat discrimination and violence in exploitation and distribution companies.
Beyond the signing of these charters, I know that there is an expectation of commitments on the part of broadcasters on the place of women on television. In audiovisual fiction, we are far from parity: 82% of works broadcast on television are made by men. And if we look at the unpublished films, the share of women directors is even lower: only 5%. These figures call for immediate decisions. Today, the big chains are assuming their responsibilities.
They decided to announce strong commitments during the audiovisual round table that will follow. I would like to commend your efforts and thank the APF for supporting these measures. I also welcome the commitment of “For Women in the Media”, strongly mobilized on this issue, and who worked 50/50 to ensure that these commitments were made.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends,
These voluntary commitments of the profession are proof of a shared awareness. Yes: there is urgency to act. Urgency to strive for equality.
Urgent action to prevent and combat sexual and gender-based violence. This presupposes the free and confident expression of victims. And we have to keep that in mind and make sure. This also requires a solid system of awareness, training, support and sanction. That is what we are trying to put in place with these Assizes. With the commitments we are making today. Next fall, we will meet to check their results. And to go, together, even further to promote equality and diversity. The cements of our Republic.