French authorities have arrested two leading independent film directors, Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, on allegations of sexual abuse, as a renewed #MeToo movement shakes the French film industry.
Jacquot, 77, and Doillon, 80, arrived at a Paris police station on Monday morning, accompanied by their lawyers, according to the AFP news agency.
The arrests of the directors over alleged abuses, some dating back to the 1980s and all of which they deny, come as activists say French cinema has for too long provided cover for abuse.
Earlier this year, Judith Godreche, a 52-year-old actress and director, formally accused Jacquot of rape and Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a minor, allegations both men deny.
Godreche has described Jacquot as someone who exerted an unhealthy “control” over her during a “perverted” relationship with him that began when she was 14, from 1986 to 1992.
She also accused Doillon of “sticking his fingers inside” her “panties” during a screen test for one of his films when she was 15 and still with Jacquot.
Several other actors have also filed complaints against both men.
Isild Le Besco, 41, alleged that Jacquot raped her between 1998 and 2007 during a relationship that began when she was 16 and he was 52.
Julia Roy, a 34-year-old actress who has appeared in several of his films, accused him of sexual assault in “a context of violence and moral coercion that lasted several years,” said a source close to the case.
Le Besco also claimed that Doillon made advances towards her during work sessions, while actress Anna Mouglalis alleged that the filmmaker forcibly kissed her in 2011.
'I'm crying'
Judicial sources say the two filmmakers could remain in custody until Tuesday evening and potentially be questioned in the presence of their accusers.
Lawyers for the directors have said it was not necessary to detain them for questioning and that they should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Jacquot's lawyer Julia Minkowski said her client “will finally be able to speak out before the law,” denouncing what she called the “unacceptable excesses” of media coverage on the issue.
Doillon's lawyer, Marie Dose, said no legal criteria could justify his detention for questioning “36 years” after the incident alleged by Godreche, and that he could have answered questions without being arrested.
The prosecution confirmed the arrest of both men, but added that both are considered innocent for the moment.
Godreche said on Instagram that she was deeply moved. “I am crying,” she wrote.
“I don’t know if I have the strength, but I will have it. I will have it… For her,” she wrote, posting a photo of herself as a teenager alongside Jacquot, 25 years her senior.
Since breaking her silence, Godreche has become a leading voice in France's #MeToo movement.
In May, French lawmakers voted to create a commission to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in the film industry and other cultural sectors, after calling for the creation of a cinema watchdog.
Last week, the head of France's top film institution, Dominique Boutonnat, resigned from his post after being convicted of sexually assaulting his godson in 2020.
Boutonnat has been sentenced to three years in prison, two of which are suspended, but he will be able to serve the year in prison at home with an electronic bracelet.
Film legend Gerard Depardieu, 75, will also go on trial in October for sexually assaulting two women.
He faces a second trial after being accused in 2020 of raping an actress in 2018, when she was 22.
