As French actor Gerard Depardieu awaits trial for sexual assault in October, we take a look at how the #MeToo movement has struggled to make a headway in France compared to the United States.

Paris

Is France Poised for Its Own #MeToo Moment?

The #MeToo movement, originating from the United States in 2006 with American activist Tarana Burke, took nearly a decade to gain significant traction globally. It wasn't until 2017, amid allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, that the movement saw a widespread call to action, with victims coming forward to share their stories of sexual assault. This heralded the fall of several influential men in entertainment and beyond. In France, the movement morphed into #BalanceTonPorc, translating to "Expose Your Pig," where significant numbers of women used social media to share their experiences of rape and harassment. This move, however, faced immediate backlash.

A controversial moment came in 2018 when 100 notable French women, including actress Catherine Deneuve, signed a public letter criticizing the #MeToo movement. They argued that the initiative, while addressing the genuine issue of rape, conflated criminal acts with non-criminal but socially awkward behaviors in courting, labeling the campaign as driven by man-hatred. This letter sparked a widespread debate within France, splitting public opinion on the matter.

Amid these divides, claims of sexual misconduct against acclaimed French actor Gérard Depardieu further polarized the nation, with President Emmanuel Macron defending Depardieu by emphasizing the importance of presumption of innocence, which he described as being overshadowed by a "manhunt." Despite such controversies and resistance, there are emerging indications that France is beginning to reconsider its stance on sexual misconduct and the protection of victims within the entertainment industry and beyond.

In a landmark move, actress Judith Goderich became the first individual to testify before the French Parliament regarding sexual violence and abuse within the French film sector, sharing her traumatic experiences. Her testimony underscored the longstanding shame and silence that often accompany victims, hindering their discourse on such matters. Following her brave disclosure, Goderich, alongside other actresses, established an association aimed at advocating for safer working conditions on French movie sets. A significant measure proposed includes the appointment of intimacy coordinators to guide actors and crews through the execution of sex scenes, ensuring a respectful and secure environment for all involved.

As France navigates through its cultural and societal norms in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the evolving dialogue suggests a gradual but possibly significant shift towards acknowledging and addressing sexual misconduct. With high-profile cases such as that of Gérard Depardieu awaiting trial and legislative bodies beginning to listen to survivors, the nation might be inching closer to a critical reckoning with its attitudes towards sexual assault and harassment.



Is France ready for a #MeToo reckoning?

But back in 2006, when the American activist Tarana Burke first used the words Me Too to encourage survivors of sexual violence to come forward with their stories, it would take almost a decade for the hashtag to go viral. Sparked by the case against the powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, in 2017, victims started coming forward to share their accounts of sexual assault, leading to the downfall of several powerful men in Hollywood and beyond. In France, using the hashtag BalanceTempsPort, or ExposeYourPig, tens of thousands of women flooded social media with their accounts of rape and harassment. They were met almost immediately with resistance. A public letter signed in 2018 by 100 notable women, including the French actress Catherine Deneuve, denounced the campaign, saying it was fuelled by a hatred of men. Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or clumsily, is not, nor is being gentlemanly a macho attack. The public response to the letter polarised opinion in France, as did claims of sexual misconduct against the celebrated actor Gérard Depardieu. President Emmanuel Macron even came to the actor's defence, saying he was the subject of a manhunt and deserved the presumption of innocence. In spite of the backlash, there are signs that attitudes in France may be shifting. Earlier this year, actress Judith Goderich, who claimed she was abused by two directors as a teenager, became the first to testify to the French Parliament about sexual violence and abuse in the French film industry. And I was carrying the guilt of my childhood. The reason women don't talk for 30 years is not because they talk when it's time to be on the cover of a magazine or there's something. When they don't talk for 30 years, it's because they're ashamed. In 2021, Goderich and others formed an association of actresses to push for changes on French movie sets, including the presence of so-called intimacy coordinators, who are trained to help actors and film crews navigate sex scenes.

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