On Tuesday, Natalie Portman apologized for signing the 2009 petition in support of Polanski. The actresswho spoke at the Womens March in January and has been a vocal supporter of the Times Up campaign to end sexual violence and abuseexpressed contrition to Buzzfeed over her former views. Madness. I know that before today, when Roman Polanski had only pleaded guilty to raping that 13-year-old girl in 1979, and been accused of raping that 16-year-old girl in 1986, it was like, Big deal . The mob wants revenge. Thats always going to be true, but we should keep trying to do the right thing. 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! Guillaume Stirn The year after he fled the US he gave an interview to Martin Amis, in which he declared: Judges want to fuck young girls. None of what you say changes the gravity of this case and with a lot of crimes the law also operates apart from 4. Would the signatories of this list have us serve up children for them to rape and defile at their pleasure because, well, W. is a really bad man? I know what I am, what I have and havent done, how things really were and are, he writes at the end of his autobiography. 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. the two of them have . Not real rape? See you at your inbox! I happen to believe that. On these facts, everyone agrees. He raped a child. I am not surprised to see the murderer John Landes on the list and any of the names that I do recognize, you can rest assured that they will not get my patronage in the future from any of their future endeavors. Alexander Astruc And here is another Free Polanski petition, this one organized by writer/philosopher Bernard-Henri Lvy. If youre not going to enforce laws, then whats the point in having any? Roman Polanski at a court appearance in Los Angeles in 1977. Giuseppe Tornatore Its neutrality applies in times of war and peace, not in the application of treaty and criminal laws. Absolutely despicable by each and every one of these people who signed this petition. 3. Two said to me that it was a special situation because the girl had been up for it (this was a common theory at the time. Stuck on 'Quordle' #402? Broadly reached out to Almodovar to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. 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. Mario Martone No excuses. Im a liberal, I work at a major studio. By now, celebrities were falling over themselves to defend Polanski. We are all part of the #MeToo movement, both men and women, Cruz said, because we all feel that rage and sense of injustice. - le Groupe 25 images I hope he finally gets his punishment and for the ones who signed this list: Im avoiding your work from now on! Much emphasis is made in the movie about how Polanskis celebrity hurt him during the trial, which is true. Sari - where are you - pay attention to this part: If you support a child rapist and decide it is not important enough to enforce laws regarding such a crime, then as a society you CONDONE that crime. Polanski raped a thirteen year old girl and fled justice. Please! I live in LA, Im a liberal, and I am appalled by the signatures of people whose work I respect on the petition. A host of directors and actors followed Weinstein, signing the petition for Polanski, including Natalie Portman, Tilda Swinton and Emma Thompson. The infamous Polanski petition was also signed by beloved auteurs like Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Wong Kar-wai and Darren Aronofsky among others who asked for the release of Polanski when he was arrested in Switzerland in 2009. I plan to try very hard to never see any work done by anyone who signed this petition. Seems strange that people on this board try to make some justification for Polanski out of bad things going unpunished elsewhere. None of my business. The man has no remorse for what he did as evidenced by interviews he has given. Dont worry YM, I didnt forget you. 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. Just under a decade after she signed the Polanski petition, Cruz expressed her support for the #MeToo movement and Times Up initiative to Spanish newspaper El Pais. Some think that sex with a child is a crime not just against the child, but against society. International cinema. Harmony Korine He is a great artist, no doubt about it, but he commited a crime against a child and needs to be prosecuted. Harvey Weinstein wrote an open letter in his support, in which he claimed: Whatever you think of his so-called crime, Polanski has served his time. Supporting Polanski became like owning a Prius: something any fashionable, well-heeled liberal should do. Claude Miller Thierry Fremaux Nelly Kaplan 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! After Thompson initially signed the petition, Caitlin Hayward-Tappa student at Exeter Universitychallenged the actress about her support for Polanski. Jerry Schatzberg Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! This is a real asteroid-kicking movie. 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. It is sad that these people think Polanski is above the law!! 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. The roles are out there for someone like Meryl Streep, but theyre not out there for the others.. he not only victimized her when she was 13 by being so selfish, he has been victimzing her for more than 30 years afterwards. ArtMoscow: Breathtaking, your self-delusion. By signing up to the Mashable newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications Mr. Polanksi should have long since addressed the matter. 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023. W. and others have committed terrible crimes and gone unpunished. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. 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. I foolishly went along. - lARP Wim Wenders. If Polanski had faced his sentence 30 years ago, wed have forgotten HIM and the victim wouldnt have to relive it now. When Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in 2009, where he was jailed for two months and then put under house arrest (the house, in this case, being a chalet in the Alps), Debra Winger claimed the whole art world suffers. 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. Wong Kar Wa - lUnion des producteurs de films Richard Pena Even at 13, a child does not have The judge went back on his word because he was afriad of public opinion like yours. He was 51. 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. Souleymane Cisse Why should he be treated any differently from other members of the clergy? 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. He sodomized a child, and then fled the country - at what point does this become ok with people. Alain Corneau I understand that Hitler was a good painterMaybe we shouldnt have closed in on and bombed his bunker because good painters are a treasure.. I could enjoy Sean Connerys work, even though he apparently doesnt have a problem with slapping a woman. Unfortunately, your misogynist ramblings likely lead most women (people) to avoid you, so you wouldnt know. Rittenband was thought to be considering sentencing him to 50 years in prison, which was when Polanski fled. That does not make what Polanski did any better. Admitted to the crime and fled the country. Jol Farges 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. Jean-Marc Ghanassia I didnt know. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. . A petition demanding his release was signed by more than 100 actors and film-makers, including Emma Thompson (who later asked to have her name removed), Yasmina Reza and Tilda Swinton. On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. Emma Thompson has long been an ardent supporter of women's rights, and the British Oscar-winner recently signed a letter in support of the Times Up campaign ahead of this year's BAFTAS. Justice at least will have run its course. Tilda Swinton Danis Tanovic If he believed her to be old enough, why did he drug her? The rest say they are too busy. Jean-Jacques Annaud 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. Jean-Paul Salom For a long time, the simple and somewhat simplistic - divide was that while people in mainland Europe viewed Polanski as a tragic artist undone by US prurience and corruption, Americans saw him, as he put it in his autobiography, as an evil, profligate dwarf. Polanski drugged a 13 year old girl and forced his penis in her anus - is that too ugly? Portman is one of the first . When he then learned she was only 15, he continued to sleep with her for several months, he wrote. A shameful chapter indeed - let us hope it will soon be brought to a close. His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals. Here are some tips and tricks to help you find the answer to 'Wordle' #622. Feminist here! 2. International film events are not extraterritorial in nature - only diplomatic missions are extraterritorial, and even diplomats are triable and punishable for crimes in a foreign country once they are sent back to their countries. My eyes were not open," she said. (In one of those ironies we can only appreciate in retrospect, this documentary, which presents an energetic case for the defence of a sex offender, was produced by the Weinstein Company.). He never contested that his victim told him no repeatedly, or that he drugged her. Actor Gael Garca Bernal, Academy Award-winning actress Penlope Cruz, veteran director Mario Monicelli, veteran screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr, and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci and Ethan Coen are a few of the latest additions to the list of signatories demanding freedom for filmmaker Roman Polanski, currently being held by Swiss authorities. Will this effect them? But like so many narcissistic and selfish Americans, a crime is only a crime when it happens to YOU, screw everyone else. 13. Polanski is a child rapist probably a serial child rapist. The petitioners clearly consider themselves diplomats, which they are not. Abderrahmane Sissako Thats why even though there are many other bad things in the world, this one IS important. The petition was also signed by various other luminaries of the global film industry, including filmmaker Sam Mendes, actor Jeremy Irons, and actress Isabelle Adjani. Elie Chouraqui He should be brought to justice. 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. Franois Margolin Andr Larqui But as more artists come forward to speak out against Woody Allen, the same can't be said of Polanski, who remains venerated in Hollywood. People believe that gender equality is improving, but the rest of the data tells a different story. Type . Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. He never even apologized to the woman. Yes other people get away with this. The right thing is different for different people. - la SACD Michel Ferry Jonathan Majors on Oscar Favorites, Bad Reviews, and the Road Trip That Made Him Realize He Was a Star, The Best Picture Race Got a Lot More Confusing This Week, Tom Cruise Made the Rounds This Week, but Other Oscar Nominees Got More Applause Than Top Gun: Maverick, How Michael B. Jordans Love of Anime Shaped Creed III Fight Scenes, Translating the Unconscious Into Images: The Cinematography of Bardo, Poker Face Takes Viewers on a Cross-Country Road Trip Without Leaving New York, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. Portman wasn't the only high-profile signatory. ", A designer's vision of the future involves robots that care for us in our final moments. I ask why she signed the petition in the first place. 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. The facts have never altered. To me, child abuse is the where I will absolutely put my line in the sand. If only the same were true of politicians, the military, the justice establishment, and the multibillionaire elite. Please somebody start a petition against Roman Polanski and the rest of his kin. Oscars 2023: Best Picture Predictions Polanski denies the claims. Jarre, he admitted to sleeping with a 13 year old child, whose age he knew. But I could sense a certain erotic tension between us.. They want a circus of blood. The only difference is weve come to our senses while they havent! He must be brought to justice. We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanskis arrest by the Swiss police on September 26th, upon arrival in Zurich (Switzerland) while on his way to a film festival where he was due to receive an award for his career in filmmaking. I was asked by friends from the Cannes film festival to sign it. Adrien Brody with Polanksi, during filming of The Pianist, 2002. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Though he was released from custody by July 2010, over 100 members of the film industry . 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. im ashamed and sickened. Bertrand Tavernier This article was amended on 30 January 2018. So, I helped Polanski rape someone because Ive watched Chinatown about a dozen times. 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. This man drugged and raped a thirteen (13) year old girl. Too icky, I suppose to add the details of your purported heros heinous crime. But Gailey wouldnt have had to endure any attention if Polanski hadnt raped her. Alexandre Arcady Or else every case involving Stockholm Syndrome would never be tried. He was a filmmaker whose work I admired greatly. this is the veiw of a 14 year old. - The crew of Polanskis latest film, Ghost Strip polanski of his resume and he is a man. Silvio Berlusconi Corruption: Sex, Lies & Earthquake + Tavernier Boos & Leigh Career Highlight. Etienne Faure Alexander Payne The progressive congresswoman was against the project, which was originally planned for Queens, New York. He & his friends will be able to afford the best lawyers. Socit des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD), Les Misrables Trailer: Anne Hathaway Show-Stopper, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Transformers Casting Drama, Palme dOr Winners: From Vienna Thriller to Lesbian Sex + Romance, Catherine Deneuve: Csar Award Record-Tier, Ken Loach Turns Down Turin Film Festival Award. Whatever transgressions the judge may have committed are irrelevant next to the drugging and repeated anal raping of a child. . Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Roman Polanski is a Polish filmmaker who has been a fugitive from the U.S. criminal justice system, since 1978, after pledging guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. He never admited to raping anyone. Probably not but I will feel good about myself. 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. For a more extensive detailing of Polanskis arrest and potential extradition to the United States, check out indieWIREs coverage from earlier today. Although the Spanish director signed the 2009 petition supporting convicted child rapist Roman Polanski, Almodovars been scathing when it comes to criticising Hollywoods institutional sexism. 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. We should not however allow him to ever enter this country again. One would think that these filmmakers have enough money to hire a proper lawyer to draft their petition, if they were serious about it. In 2018, Dolan apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Patrice Chereau do you see anyone saying thats ok? I think the Times Up initiative is wonderful: Ive donated to it because I believe it will make a difference. Cruz additionally attended the Golden Globes ceremony last month in a black lace gown to show support for the Times Up initiative. Julian Schnabel Kent Jones I have also read the facts spred online. "We talked for 15 minutes and by the end she [Thompson] said she would get her name removed. The . Many other priests have committed this sort of crime, and they are dealt with most liberally. Should this even be up for discussion? Because you know, rapists are never charming, are they? Under 1192.5 of the Penal Code that the approval of the Court to the plea is not binding to the Court.. (that the court may change the terms upon further review) How do you plead to this felony? This girl was very sexually mature for her age, even the judge said the prosecutrix was a well-developed young girl, who looked older than her years, and regrettably not unschooled in sexual matters. This was clearly a case of consensual sexual relations. It is the most vicious, sickening and coward action, to attack a young child. I do along with those who loves She is a child. But this is the most important part YM: Accusing the judge of things and the girl of things and feminists and lactose intolerant people and etc. 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. Martin Scorcese If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. And, to anyone calling this a case of morals: This is not an example of American Puritanical values gone wrong. Zenovichs movie focuses on how Polanski had the misfortune to come up in front of Judge Lawrence Rittenband, who was obsessed with self-publicity and determined to make an example of Polanski. Alain Jessua Artists are not above the law in any country. Do you have kids??? Scott Foundas Those of you who think this is the same as rape should watch Oleanna. Radu Mihaileanu The talent of Roman Polanski is not questioned. furthermore, the reason the victim wants the charges to be dropped is because this case has been haunting her since she was 13- she is in her 40s now and she wants to get on with her life. This does not make what Polanski did any better! Pedro Almodovar We worship/ed those artists just as they worship Polanski. ", 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. And I think we live in a post-Hamilton world where we don't even need to think about what's authentic to the character, like faithful to the character," Portman said. It was signed by some of the biggest names in filmindividuals who were willing to discount the fact that Polanski was charged in court with drugging a 13-year-old with alcohol and half a Quaalude before forcibly performing oral, vaginal, and anal sex acts upon her, despite her pleas for him to stop. Broadly reached out to Anderson to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. The director of The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums recently premiered his latest effort, Isle of Dogs, at the Berlin Film Festival. Its not that people are not aware of the charges. Perhaps we can send the children of the signatories of this petition over to Roman so he can drug and sodomize them, as Im sure this whole unfortunate arrest business has him very stressed, and clearly in the opinion of the aforementioned signatories, such a genius deserves to do whatever he wants whenever he wants. But Zenovich does not mention how it also helped him. Unless the Puritans secretly championed the rights and autonomy of women. Im so glad Roman has so many supporters that he can rape and sodomize, but are any of you 13 because thats target age we need. Its 40 years this week since the director and convicted sex offender went on the run. Tilda Swinton would like to graciously pass on being interviewed. Jerome Cornuau Nadine Trintignant I am sure his methods may have changed but sex offenders rarely offend just once. 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. And yet Polanskis name is mentioned only sporadically, even though he is the only one with an actual conviction. Instead, the Isle of Dogs premiere featured a carpet that was resolutely red. I certainly wouldnt allow any of you to get near my daughter. 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. Cher Roman tu as mon support total. What does his continued success reveal about the film worlds true attitude towards sexual assault? 8 8 Most Beautiful French Actresses . this is all very upsetting to hear. Tue 29 Sep 2009 10.24 EDT. Well, so do I. How else will they have their entertainment? Tonie Marshall To not face your own actions but run away when you dont like the consequences. He engaged in non-consenting sex acts with a child. Artists are not above the law in any country.. 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. Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians everyone involved in international filmmaking want him to know that he has their support and friendship. He never was. Polanski has not served his time and now he is guilty of evading justice. - le Festival de Cannes Too bad theyre selling their souls to be there. Cant think of a bigger threat to our planet just now. The fact is that he raped her and pled guilty. Tom Tykwer Diane Kurys Wow, this is maybe the finest list of people that Ive ever seen. Thats no excuse, and its a decision I regretted almost immediately and have regretted ever since, she says. Every story has more than one side. As a result, her attorney arranged the plea bargain, in which five of the charges were dropped and Polanski pleaded guilty to statutory rape, which was the least serious charge against him. I can only hope they are not aware of the full allegations. "All I can say is jetlag and lateness. We reached out to some of the most high-profile signatories. The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. He is not a sexual predator he is a now a philanthropist. But I was, it turned out, grossly out of step with the times. Film-makers in France, in Europe, in the United States and around the world are dismayed by this decision It seems inadmissible to them that an international cultural event, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary film-makers, is used by police to apprehend him., Related What happened to the feminists?, Wow, Laslavic- you are one classy guy!(/sarcasm). It speaks terribly of the industry, she replies. This is actually a very civil process being carried out in regards to someone who did a very uncivil thing. If you are rich, white, and especially if you are famous, the system in extremely biased in your favor. There are some quibbles about who said what, but the generally agreed facts are as follows: in March 1977 Polanski, who was then 43, took a child, Samantha Gailey (now Geimer), who he knew was 13 years old, to Jack Nicholsons house to take photos of her for a magazine. Everyone signing this list should be ashamed of themselves.