Cannes Head Thierry Frémaux Responds To Adèle Haenel’s Criticism Of Cannes As A Safe Place For Sexual Predators: “It’s False, Erroneous”; Fest Chief Also Talks Johnny Depp Opener ‘Jeanne Du Barry’

deadline.com:

Cannes Film Festival Thierry Frémaux has responded to French actress Adèle Haenel’s suggestion that Cannes is part of a French eco-system that turns a blind eye to sexual violence.

The actress made the comments in an open letter in weekly TV magazine Télérama last week, in which she announced she was leaving the film industry because of its “general complacency” towards sexual predators.

The letter has stoked debate in the local film industry with some professionals getting behind her move, while others say they do not recognise the French cinema world in her comments.

Frémaux said her comments on Cannes were clearly “false.” “I can only comment about what she said about Cannes, by saying that I suppose to be radical, she felt obliged to make this comment on Cannes, but it’s false, erroneous,” he said. “She didn’t think that way when she came to the festival as an actress, at least I hope she was not in some sort of mad contradiction,” he said, referring to Haenel’s participation in the festival’s Official Selection with A Portrait of Lady On Fire and BPM.  “Cannes is an event with a strong media echo and people use Cannes to talk about certain problems.