A court case in France resonates with the current #MeToo conversation in French cinema. On Tuesday, the Paris Tribunal began proceedings against filmmaker Roman Polanski, now 90, who faces accusations of defaming one of his alleged sexual assault victims. British actress Charlotte Lewis, who accused the director of rape in 1983 when she was 16, brought a subsequent complaint in 2019 after Polanski labeled her a liar. Considered a fugitive by the United States for decades, the Polish-French artist did not attend the first hearing, which started at noon. He faces judgment in his absence.
About ten women have accused Polanski of rape or other sexual assaults. The filmmaker had previously received Cannes’ Palme dOr and an Academy Award for Best Director for The Pianist (2002). He denies the allegations. Most of these cases, including the one involving Lewis, were said to have occurred when the accusers were minors and are now considered time-barred. Lewis represents one of the most high profile cases linked to Polanski. The 56 year old actress said the director assaulted her at his Paris home after a casting for the film Pirates, released in 1986. She disclosed this during the Cannes festival in 2010. While she did not file a formal police report at the time, she testified to Los Angeles police authorities.
A “lie filled with hatred”
Nine years later, the director of Chinatown (1974) and The Ghost Writer (2010) did not hold back in speaking about the actress. In an interview with Paris Match, he accused her of having spoken a “lie filled with hatred.” He suggested that the first trait of a good liar is a strong memory and noted that Lewis is frequently mentioned among his accusers without revealing contradictions. This reference alluded to an interview she gave in 1999 in which she claimed a desire to be his mistress. According to Lewis, those statements were inaccurate.
The journalist who published that interview in the British tabloid News of the World is present at the trial. One defense attorney remarked that Polanski has the right to defend himself publicly. Another lawyer, Benjamin Chouai, who represents the alleged victim, countered by saying that the case involves attempts to smear and defame. In France, defamation charges tend to be judged swiftly after a complaint. A conviction can carry up to a year in prison and a fine of around 45 000 euros.
A trial amid the French #MeToo movement
Despite the many women accusing him of sexual violence, Polanski has continued his career largely unimpeded. In 2020 he received a César Award for Best Director for a film set during a tense period, which drew protests from some attendees who shouted through the ceremony. That moment became one of the emblematic episodes of the French cinema sector during the #MeToo era.
This turning point for the voices of women and the growing sensitivity to their accusations is now unfolding again in the neighboring country. In addition to ongoing inquiries involving Gérard Depardieu, a new investigation emerged this week concerning the director known as the Monster. Judith Godrèche also accused Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of having assaulted her when she was a minor. The actress and director, who spoke movingly at the César ceremony, later described the underhanded trafficking in young women from the stage at Olympia.