Since May 2024, an inquiry group of MPs at France's National Assembly has been tasked with identifying sexual harassment and assault on film sets in France. The committee has put forward proposals for new legislation to tackle the issue – for example, introducing intimacy coordinators on sets.
The inquiry committee, initiated by French actress Judith Godrèche, has interviewed almost 100 people from the film, theatre and advertising industries.
Some of France's biggest male movie stars have also testified to the inquiry, saying they might have missed or even been guilty of inappropriate remarks before the #MeToo movement changed attitudes.
Jean Dujardin, an Oscar winner in 2012 for his turn in The Artist, as well as French actors Gilles Lellouche, Pio Marmai and Jean-Paul Rouve agreed to speak to lawmakers last month behind closed doors.
Dujardin, 52, welcomed the #MeToo movement. "We don't see everything – and perhaps we don't want to see," he said when asked why male actors had not spoken out sooner to protect their female colleagues, or reported sexual violence. "I think the #MeToo movement has been useful from that point of view."
He added: "We no longer say what we used to say 10 or 15 years ago, and we won’t say the same things in 10 years either... I feel that sexist reactions and clumsy remarks are gradually disappearing."
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One key moment during the hearings was the testimony of actress Sara Forestier. On 7 November, 2024, she spent an hour recounting the assault she experienced on a film set in 2017. With a trembling voice, she accused her co-star, actor Nicolas Duvauchelle, of slapping her. The film's team then discouraged her from pursuing legal action.
"They tried to stop me from going to the police," the actress explained. "The team panicked. They didn’t know how to handle the situation. The only thing that mattered was fear over money and insurance. So immediately they swept it under the rug, and the victim had to take it."
Forestier has since filed a complaint, while Duvauchelle denies the allegations.
As the debates concluded, MP Sandrine Rousseau (Greens), the president of the committee, gave a mixed assessment: "On one side, we have the lived experiences of victims, recounting recurring events. On the other, the film industry understands the issues but is still quite blind to the reality of the victims’ experiences."
Intimacy coordinators
This failing was highlighted by the testimony of director Catherine Corsini on 27 January. Corsini spoke about verbal abuse against her and accusations of sexual assault against a stuntman during the chaotic 2022 shoot of her film Le Retour.
In addition, there was a sexual scene involving a minor actress which had not been declared to the child entertainment commission.
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When questioned, Corsini explained: "I thought they were OK with it. They found it funny. We did it quickly, and it went well. But I admit we shouldn’t have done it. I acknowledge that."
Rousseau responded: "If there had been an intimacy coordinator, it would have simplified everything."
Corsini replied: "At the time, I hadn’t considered that an intimacy coach could be part of the process. I thought it was something the director managed with the actors."
An intimacy coordinator acts as a mediator between a film's director and the actors, overseeing scenes with sexual content. It is a profession is still largely unknown in France. As of 2024, there were only four intimacy coordinators in the country, compared to nearly 100 in the United States.
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This has become one of the key priorities identified by the committee: "Intimacy coordinators are among the people missing on film sets. We need to know exactly what will be filmed, edited and what shots will be retained. It’s absolutely essential," Rousseau said.
"It’s necessary to make it a rule that intimacy coordinators are offered, and they should be mandatory if one of the two protagonists requests one," added MoDem MP Erwan Balanant.
The final report, including this and other proposals, set to be published on 9 April.
This report was adapted from the RFI Podcast Reportage en France produced by Baptiste Coulon.
