IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Polanski decided to skip the Cesar awards ceremony because of protests by women’s groups denouncing the 12 nominations “An Officer and a Spy” received after a French woman brought a new rape accusation against him.
At the announcement of Polanski’s award as best director, some boos emerged from the audience composed of film teams and cinema professionals.
Actress Adele Haenel, who recently denounced an alleged sexual assault by another French director in the early 2000s when she was 15, got up and walked out of the room, followed by a few others. “Distinguishing Polanski is spitting in the face of all victims. It means raping women isn’t that bad,” Haenel told the New York Times earlier this week.
The film’s cast and production team, including best actor nominee Jean Dujardin, also declined to attend the ceremony.
Polanski’s film won two other awards for best costume design and best adaptation. No one came on stage to accept the trophies awarded to “An Officer and a Spy.”
The Cesar for best film was awarded to “Les Miserables,” Ladj Ly’s Oscar candidate, about tensions between police and minorities in a poor Paris suburb.
The entire male- dominated leadership of the Cesar stepped down recently amid disagreement over its decision- making structure and how to deal with the Polanski problem.