The judge went back on his word because he was afriad of public opinion like yours. When the Harvey Weinstein story broke last October, the reaction among the movie industry was wide-eyed shock that someone so many of them knew and worked with could be a rapist. Justice at least will have run its course. I was looking for the petition to sign, but heres my comment: LEAVE THE POOR GUY ALONE. I understand that there seems to have been a biased judge in the original case. 4. Women, girls, PEOPLE having a RIGHT to say what happens to their own bodies is NOT a moral issue, it is a human rights issue. He never contested that his victim told him no repeatedly, or that he drugged her. It was not just statutory rape, it was rape-rape because she said no! While researching this article I had a couple of off-the-record discussions with actors and film-makers about their true feelings about Polanski. Furthermore, plea bargains are totally up to the judge, if he felt the deal was too lenient than he was perfectly in his legal right to not honor the deal. - lUnion des producteurs de films Sari, to quote you: If Polanski had killed the girl instead of raping her, the whole matter would have been forgotten long ago, In what world would murder be forgotten? Absolutely despicable by each and every one of these people who signed this petition. Artists are not above the law in any country.. He is not a sexual predator he is a now a philanthropist. from Mashable that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. I was mostly just on and off saying: No, stop. But I wasnt fighting really because there was no one else there and I had no place to go. I might not like it, but I can separate the man from his work. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. Natalie Portman. Guillaume Stirn We have a duty to protect the innocence of children. Polanski is a child rapist probably a serial child rapist. Jacques Fansten Thats always going to be true, but we should keep trying to do the right thing. Afterwards, in Polanskis car, Gailey cried. He plead guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful sex with a minor because he knew they had enough evidence to fry his ass if it went to trial. Given Portman's active involvement in the Time's Up movement, her signing of the petition came from a misplaced sense of empathy. (Also, Woody Allen, but who's surprised there?) The fact that filmmakers may present their work and travel freely and safely at and to film events, as every person may do at and to other unrestricted public properties, does not make them diplomats. If he gets off on some technicality or is given a non custodial age due to age or the pleas of the victim or even the terms of the original plea bargain than so be it. This submitted as a defense of a man who drugs and rapes a child? Classic movies. Gabriel Auer Jean-Paul Rappeneau In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries. A 13-year-old cannot give consent to have sex with an adult male. Raphael Rebibo Socially conscious & political cinema. But stop with the pathetic kowtowing to a predator, please. Judge Laurence Rittenband, who was thought to be considering sentencing Polanski to 50 years in prison. Jerome Cornuau Given. I wrote about the documentary for this paper when it came out, as it struck me as astonishingly exculpatory. I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. Pedro Almodovar Alain Jessua Polanski directs Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly in the 2011 film Carnage. The petition, made public in September 2009, demanded "the immediate release of Roman Polanski" after the Rosemary's Baby filmmaker was detained days earlier in Switzerland on a warrant for . But he doesnt mention that in his book. I love you and respect you more than ever. Jeanne Moreau Are you celebrity/entertainment people think youre above the law? Not real rape? A petition has been circulated on behalf of Roman Polanski henceforth, to my mind, "RoPo" and signed by A-list movie directors (Pedro Almodovar, Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar. Jean-Charles Tacchella He should have been prosecuted as well, even if no teenagers were involved in his misdeeds. All Rights Reserved. Reactions to Weinstein come soundtracked with the distinct sound of bandwagon-jumping; thanks to the #MeToo campaign, the public mood is firmly on the side of listening to victims, and Hollywood has keenly followed suit. children. ", Mashable Australia's Web Culture Reporter.Reach out to me on Twitter at @Johnny_Lieu or via email at jlieu [at] mashable.com, "I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. SHAME on you Wes Anderson! Last year, four more allegations emerged: former US actor Mallory Millett said Polanski tried to rape her in 1970; German actor Renate Langer said the director raped her in Gstaad in 1972 when she was 15; a woman identified as Robin M said Polanski assaulted her in 1973 when she was 15; and a third, Marianne Barnard, accused him of assaulting her in 1975 when she was 10. A few will only talk off the record. He never admited to raping anyone. Emir Kusturica I very much regret it, Portman said. Juries want to fuck young girls everyone wants to fuck young girls! (Amis, clearly shocked, wrote: Even Humbert Humbert realised that young girls dont really know whether they are willing or not. A man that raped a child. Personally, I can live with a Hugh Grant who got a blow-job from a prostitute. And miss Caryn Elaine Johnson, I used to have a lot of respect for you, no more.no more. this is all very upsetting to hear. Really, you are worse than the most rabid of Polanskis detractors. He fled the country to France before he could be properly sentenced. Broadly reached out to Cruz to ask if she regrets supporting Polanski, but she declined to reply by the time of publication. Etienne Faure Betrand Van Effenterre Miguel Courtois The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. Gay movies. Bertrand Tavernier Radu Mihaileanu But Gailey became so frightened by the attention the case attracted, because of Polanskis fame, she tried to withdraw from it entirely. International cinema. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom. She is a child. Jacques Bral Even after Mary posted the facts of the case, you still call this a bloodhunt. He then had sex with her, drove her home and, the next day, was arrested. One of the petition's signatories was Natalie Portman, who told BuzzFeed(Opens in a new tab) she "very much" regrets putting her name on it. Christian Gion Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. Since then, many of them with names on the petition have claimed that they were forced to sign it. This man should never have been allowed to go free without punishmentand 45 days of evaluation does not constitute punishment! offender. Stuck on 'Quordle' #402? Mr. Polanksi should have long since addressed the matter. Its neutrality applies in times of war and peace, not in the application of treaty and criminal laws. After all, when he was told he was being arrested for rape he was genuinely shocked: I was incredulous; I couldnt equate what had happened the day before with rape in any form, he writes in his autobiography. Patrice Chereau Alexander Astruc This article was amended on 2 February 2018 to clarify that the estimate of a three-year US prison sentence was made in 2009. Im a liberal, I work at a major studio. Laissez cet homme exceptionel tranquil; a sera plus raisonable, moins obstin et plus gnreux. Polanski will turn 85 this year, and he has lived almost half his life under the shadow of what Weinstein described as his so-called crime. Stephane Allagnon - lAPI (Association des producteurs Indpendants) (Association of Independent Producers) There was no doubt about her experience and lack of inhibition. Jean-Paul Salom She is not an adult. The issue is effective consent not whether you like or dislike someones sexual preference or activity. Claude Lelouch If you are rich, white, and especially if you are famous, the system in extremely biased in your favor. Instead, the Isle of Dogs premiere featured a carpet that was resolutely red. Polanski, you sense, has never even tried to understand this.) After Tate was murdered in 1969, when Polanski was 36, he spent time in Gstaad, where he slept with schoolgirls aged 16 to 19, who were, he writes, more beautiful, in a natural, coltish way, than they ever would be again. Thanks to the candour of Polanski, the rest of us have always known, too including everyone in the film industry who has worked with him since. We lived in a different world, and that doesn't excuse anything. Too icky, I suppose to add the details of your purported heros heinous crime. What he did over 30 years ago was wrong, but the fact that the victim received a civil settlement and doe not want the matter pursued means the case should be dropped. None of what you say changes the gravity of this case and with a lot of crimes the law also operates apart from He describes grooming Gailey on the drive to the photoshoot: I asked when shed first started having sex, he writes, as if thats a normal thing for a 43-year-old man to ask a 13-year-old girl. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Patrick Braoud We demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski, urges the petition. Harvey. only to seduce a 15-year old nastassia kinski two years later- when he was 46. had he handled this differently, the victim would have been able to put this trauma behind her when she was still a teenager. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. But apparently, you artists arent supposed to be subjected to the rules and expectations we mere mortals face. Where does the quest for boycott end? He is a child rapist and he needs to pay for his crime. John Landis i was somewhat sexually active at that time but still a virgin. His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against . - la Cinmathque Franaise When he started kissing her she told him: No keep away. When he performed oral sex on her she was ready to cry and asked him to stop. Unfortunately, he passed [] AFP is reporting that a grand assembly of filmmakers, actors and producers from around the world have signed a petition urging the release of director Roman Polanski, who was arrested Sunday in Switzerland on a warrant for a 1977 underage sex case in the United States. He fled the country to France before he could be properly sentenced. And please dont take the whole But but hes so charming and he gives to charity! defense. The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from 'Unsolved Mysteries' to 'McMillions' to 'The Staircase' But like so many narcissistic and selfish Americans, a crime is only a crime when it happens to YOU, screw everyone else. Patrice Leconte I know it wont matter one iota to many of you, which is fine, but I am one person who will do her best to avoid any of your work. I have read the facts and testimonies of the case. i just cant comprehend how you can just so willingly run to the aid of a man who raped a child. My level of disgust at the people who express disgust at the signatories of the Polanski petitioni and then go off sounding more deranged and more dangerous than Polanski could ever be is too strong for me to express in mere words. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. Mario Monicelli He is a convicted child molestor. None of my business. Who among the Moral Police gives a shit? Just ask her. It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by the police to apprehend him. I will never again be able to speak to, or look at, Mike Nichols, Jonathan Demme, Martin Scorsese or any of the other names I recognize here without wanting to scream obscenities at them. She has had to hear about this, talk about this, show up for the DA, etc, and frankly, after 30 years and your entire adult life having to talk about how you were raped when you were a teenager, I would want the whole thing dropped as well. - Members of the European Producers Club Michael A. Russ Erika Abrams, Fatih Akin, Yves Alberty, Stephane Allagnon, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodvar, Gianni Amelio, Greta Amend, Wes Anderson, Michel Andrieu, Roger Andrieux, Pascale Angelini, Yannick Angelloznicoud Jean-Jacques Annaud, Tomas Arana, Frdric Aranzueque-Arrieta, Alexandre Arcady, Fanny Ardant, Asia Argento, Marie-Hlne Arnau, He raped a child! because its just too banal and trivial to enforce our laws? Hes an animal because of what he did to a child; hes a coward because he didnt take his punishment like a man with character. In 2009, when Polanski was arrested at a Zurich airport in a failed extradition attempt, over 100 Hollywood celebrities signed a petition calling for his release. - lARRF - Association des Ralisateurs et ralisatrices de Films - Belgique (Belgian Association of Filmmakers) This will not be a problem to keep up I will soon be very familiar with the names on the list, Ill just cross-check any movie I think about renting or seeing in the theater. Luc Barnier Liria Begeja To not face your own actions but run away when you dont like the consequences. Linda, what you think should happen and what is mandated by law are two very different things. i honestly dont know what to say, except for i almost feel let down. But then again, the judge apparently liked some very young women as well. By their extraterritorial nature, film festivals the world over have always permitted works to be shown and for filmmakers to present them freely and safely, even when certain States opposed this. As much as I've been repulsed by Polanski's 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl, I've been absolutely flabbergasted and offended by the list of Hollywood elites and celebrities who have recently signed a petition demanding his release. I dont wish to admire anyone who has such a twisted sense of values. Claude Miller Is anyone surprised that Woody Allen, seen here with his wife and stepdaughter, supports Roman Polansky You'll find hundreds of names on Hollywood's pro-Polanski petition. Alexandre Desplat I have too much to say to put it in a short comment - but I have posted on this issue on my personal blog : But it seems to me that Hollywood must be a very dangerous place for a child these days as so many of its big names appear to endorse paedophilic activity. In 2016, when promoting recent film Julieta, Almodovar criticized the limited parts conventionally written for women. In fact the number was four. I find it hard to believe that you would find it an acceptable excuse if it was your child who was sodomized. I could enjoy Sean Connerys work, even though he apparently doesnt have a problem with slapping a woman. - Path. Kingsley, who has worked with Polanski multiple times, would need to pass. . One would think that these filmmakers have enough money to hire a proper lawyer to draft their petition, if they were serious about it. Laurent Heynemann Abderrahmane Sissako I express my deepest respect to those who were brave enough to sign the petition and withstand the blood-seeking mob. He admitted to raping a child at the age of 13, fled the country and lived like a King in France, and he shouldnt be punished because he makes good movies??? It was a mistake," she told the news outlet. US-French relations have nothing to do with Polanski drugging and raping a child. Jean-Marc Ghanassia Amongst them were a swathe of high-profile names, including Woody Allen, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, Darren Aronofsky, Monica Bellucci, Asia Argento and Wes Anderson. Laurence Roulet 8 8 Most Beautiful French Actresses . By trying to send Roman Polanski to the lions despite all the legal arguments, is something that unfortunately gets and will get more and more out of proportion. Ccile Telerman If Polanski had attended his sentencing hearing instead of fleeing the country, the whole thing would have been over after hed served his time. Mike Nichols, David Lynch, Ethan Coen, Bernardo Bertolucci, Martin Scorsese, Jeremy Irons, Tilda Swinton, Terry Gilliam, Emir Kusturica, Wim Wenders and many, many others, I love you even more! Is Father Polanski any different? Any notion that because a person puts up a huge bail, s/he definitely will not flee is an utter fallacy, whether or not in view of past conduct. Seems strange that people on this board try to make some justification for Polanski out of bad things going unpunished elsewhere. Alexander Payne In September 2009, Roman Polanski was arrested by Swiss police on a warrant for his 1977 sexual-abuse case. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. Go ahead delete my anti hollywood post I feel better for posting it even if I already knew only equivocators and apologist for polanski need post, the uber leftist oh so talented equivocators make me want to hurl. He declared himself above the law and thumbed his nose at the victim and her family.You can, in your right mind support him? Back in 2009, film industry luminaries signed a petition to release Roman Polanski from a Swiss prison and now one star is regretting it. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But one can have enormous sympathy for those losses, and also feel that offering up dead women as mitigating factors for raping a girl doesnt really wash. And yet, for the past 40 years, many of them have been falling over themselves to work with a self-confessed child rapist, even defending him by pointing to his artistic credentials. He admitted to unlawfully having sex as part of a plea bargain the judge tried to renege on. Finally, to those of you suggesting that Polanski got unfair treatment: I suggest you follow up on watching documentaries with some actual research on the justice system in Los Angeles County. Souleymane Cisse Alexandre Arcady Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1994 Actor Death And The Maiden Director Roman Polanski Fine Line 8X10 Photo at the best online prices at eBay! it just makes you sick to your stomach to see so many people that you gathered so much inspiration from dissapoint you in such a vile way. What is the big deal about the Reverend Polanski? They trotted out the familiar defences: the Holocaust and Sharon Tate, of course. I admire Mr. Polanskis work. Pascal Thomas Posting their names publicly in support of Polanski speaks loudly regarding their . Martin Scorcese Though he was released from custody by July 2010, over 100 members of the film industry . Hes an old man now and probably wont be causing much more trouble so I dont know how much in the way of resources we should spend trying to extradite him so that he can spend his dotage in one of our nicer minimum security prisons . I am sure his methods may have changed but sex offenders rarely offend just once. Only one persons behaviour is at issue here, Roman Polanski and he deserves to be in prison because he drugged, then raped, then sodomized a 13 year old girl despite her pleas for him to stop. Walter Salles I still do. To me, child abuse is the where I will absolutely put my line in the sand. Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians everyone involved in international filmmaking want him to know that he has their support and friendship. Petition for Roman Polanski. a host of actors have signed petitions on his behalf . I live in LA, Im a liberal, and I am appalled by the signatures of people whose work I respect on the petition. The rest say they are too busy. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Part of me feels extreme disgust right now because I think that the pass many are giving to Polanski is a reflection of a misogynistic culture that deep down believes a woman (or in this case, a girl) always wants it. 100% of the proceeds of this bundle will support Direct Relief, International Medical Corps, and Save the Children. Broadly reached out to Almodovar to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. For those of you who support Mr. Polanski, have you never considered that he has likely perpretrated the same things against some other young victim as he did Ms. Gailey? High recidivism cant be an excuse to keep these people locked up, all victims will come forward if it happens again, and we dont need to pay any heed Kinskis real birth certificate. Shocking what your statement implies. In 2018, Dolan apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. Alain Corneau Over the past few days I've been watching the Roman Polanski story unfold. Alongside Asia Argento and Emma Thompson, Natalie Portman remains one of the few celebrities to apologize for signing the petition. Some people on other blogs Ive read suggested to separate the person from his work since many artist have personalities or values that arent charming. Cher Roman tu as mon support total. And not just when it comes to lurid, sex-laced cases, but that seems all most people care about. Polanski was originally indicted for 4 felonies, and the girl agreed to have him plea guilty to statutory rape in order to avoid the circus of the trial. The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects. An earlier version said that three more allegations emerged against Polanski last year. The criminal case should be settled without any jail time. Watch what happened next. The active paedophile is stealing childhoods. Jan Kounen thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0928091polanskiplea1.html. In 2018, Portman apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. Anyone whose name is on this petition, is supporting an admitted (he did admit it) rapist/child molester. The facts have never altered. I propose a boycott of all films and books and plays and machinery created by all those people listed here. There are no hazy conspiracy theories we know exactly what happened because Polanski admitted to it and later wrote about it in astonishing detail in his autobiography, Roman by Polanski, published six years after he left the US and went to France, where he still lives. If this was some normal guy from the streets of Chicago you would all be calling for his head. Defending Polanski in the face of his full admission of drugging and raping a 13 year-old, fleeing charges because he thought he was too important to face the consequences of his actions, boasting to Martin Amis that EVERYONE wants to F*** little girls! and complaining how HE is the victim (in true sociopathic form) by not being able to work in Hollywood for 30 years, while never ONCE saying that what he did was unfathomably wrong, has nothing of importance to say about humanity. If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. Gianluca Farinelli Woody Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorcese, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Harmony Korine, Stephen Frears, Alexander Payne, Michael Mann, Wim Wenders, Tilda Swinton, Julian Schnabel, and Pedro Almodovar are among the 100 and counting film industry figures who have signed the petition, coordinated from France by the SACD, an organization which represents performance and visual artists. Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne Basically, it all comes down to your threshold of pain. Yes other people get away with this. Yasmina Reza Woody Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorcese, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Harmony Korine, Stephen Frears . I disagree. The fact that Switzerland is a neutral country does not make it a lawless country. Moreover, more allegations have been made against him: in 2010, British actor Charlotte Lewis said Polanski abused her in 1983 when she was 16. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and seeing people in the comments try to defend him as well by saying the girl was mature for her age? As to the victim wanting to drop the case, it is because she is tired of all the publicity her family gets every time Polanski whines about not being able to go to a certain country to film. People keep affirming that Polanski did this and did that as if they were there at the time. Harmony Korine Adrien Brody with Polanksi, during filming of The Pianist, 2002. Alfonso Cuaron I dont know what the rationals might be for those who seek his pardoning, be it moral ambiguity, sycophancy, going along with what they see as hip or simply the belief that the group they belong to is somehow superior and has a right to use common people for their own amusement, but it would be a mistake to give the law a pass to accommodate this utterly reprehensible man. Broadly reached out to Anderson to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. The petition demanding "the immediate release" of Polanski attracted more than 100 signatures(Opens in a new tab), including Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, TildaSwinton and Wong Kar Wai. Thompson claims to have signed the petition, but later asked for her name to be removed. And also going against a horrible history of over-seeing white actors and under-seeing otherized people and minorities. The more Ive learned about the original case and subsequent events, the more horrified I have become., Since Argento went public with her allegations against Weinstein in October, a lot has been written about how the film industry will no longer cover up abuse. Roman was charged with sex with minor, not real rape. There is no one who is so talented that deserve to walk from something like this (and hes been walking for 30 years). His movies went on to win six Oscars. David Heyman Portman wasn't the only high-profile signatory. Strip polanski of his resume and he is a man. Tom Tykwer If Polanski had killed the girl instead of raping her, the whole matter would have been forgotten long ago The Mexican director received criticism after he chose not to wear a Time's Up badge to the BAFTAs.