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00:00GĂ©rard Depardieu, one of the most famous actors in France, is going on trial in Paris
00:05today for sexual assault.
00:07Depardieu has faced a series of assault and rape allegations over the years, but this
00:12is the first time he has actually gone to court.
00:16Today he's facing two women who accuse him of sexual assault from a film shoot four years
00:20ago.
00:21The 76-year-old actor has made more than 200 films and TV shows, including Cyrano de Bergerac,
00:26Jean de Flaurette, and the American film Green Card.
00:30He is the highest profile figure to face accusations in the French cinema world, which has been
00:35accused of dragging its feet in France's MeToo movement.
00:39We're going to talk more about this now with writer and journalist Bénédicte Martin.
00:43Bénédicte, welcome.
00:44You're also an ambassador for MeToo Media, which is an association for victims of sexual
00:48violence in media and in film.
00:52You know GĂ©rard Depardieu well.
00:53In fact, he was once a friend.
00:55You would have called him a friend.
00:56You've seen him, observed him over the years, his behavior both on the set and in private
01:00life.
01:01Now, he has repeatedly denied abusing women.
01:04What are your thoughts?
01:05Do you believe him?
01:06No, absolutely not.
01:07For me, he's a liar.
01:09Everybody saw GĂ©rard Depardieu since decades acting like this.
01:13And I say acting because we don't forget that GĂ©rard Depardieu is an actor.
01:19And today this is his best role he will play today.
01:24So actors, they are paid for lying and GĂ©rard is like this.
01:29So it will be very difficult for the court to make the distinction about who is GĂ©rard
01:36and who he is embodied today.
01:39There have been many allegations over the years.
01:41As you said, decades.
01:42This is the first time actually a trial is happening.
01:44Why has it taken so long for a trial to happen?
01:47Because from my opinion, France is very late for the MeToo movement.
01:52I don't know.
01:53Maybe it's cultural.
01:54Perhaps it's because we are proud of a kind of South Sea culture or something very, yes,
02:02sexy.
02:03Something.
02:04But no, I think we are very late.
02:06And the justice in France is not at the level of the other country in the world.
02:12And there have been other cases before GĂ©rard Depardieu.
02:14There was a director, Christophe Rougiat, who was found guilty of sexual assault of
02:18a minor.
02:19This was just a month ago.
02:20This was the French actor AdĂšle Haenel, who was brave enough to go public with the
02:24case.
02:25I mean, you say France has been very late on all of this.
02:27But is it now finally starting to turn around?
02:30I hope.
02:31I really want to hope this is a turning point.
02:35Because if GĂ©rard Depardieu today will go face to the judge, it could be something very
02:42important.
02:43It could be a big message for the woman who will be arrested in France, say, OK, we are
02:49listening to you and you can confront your aggressor in the court and we are making
02:55all the process with you.
02:57So for me, it's a very good sign.
03:00But it's interesting because, as you said, France has been late when it comes with this
03:03sort of Me Too awakening.
03:05But we're talking about huge names in French cinema, people like Catherine Deneuve, who
03:09have stood up for GĂ©rard Depardieu, someone like Roman Polanski, who is still very much
03:14admired here in France.
03:16Why does France have such an easy time forgiving, if you like, these people against whom they're
03:21having these allegations?
03:23In the feminist area, we used to say, don't be careful about the Deneuve syndrome.
03:32Because OK, it can be a friend.
03:34GĂ©rard is really, really nice, really, really generous, really, really empathic.
03:39But he has another face with little people.
03:43When you have no power, it can be very, very, very mean.
03:47And so in France, I think people who are very famous can have an immunity, impunity, and
03:55they abuse a lot.
03:56And Catherine Deneuve, she's a friend of GĂ©rard, Polanski, OK, he's protected and everything.
04:03But even GĂ©rard was my friend before, he's not my friend anymore.
04:09So I put all my souvenirs in the back and I say, OK, I know how easy, how he is capable
04:18to do this.
04:19I saw him treating badly some women.
04:22So I trust the woman.
04:25And also, it seems like the French government is finally getting more involved.
04:29There was a parliamentary commission.
04:31Your association was called in to testify.
04:33Also several producers and actors here in France, including the Oscar winning French
04:37actor Jean Dujardin, called in to testify.
04:39Do you think anything will come out of that?
04:43When Jean Dujardin and the three other actors came, I don't think there is a real consciousness
04:50of what happened.
04:51I think they still protect us.
04:54And in France, we have to, we have to listen more to the woman.
05:00But it's very difficult because we have remarks that Macron, the president Macron, he has
05:05said last year that he was very proud of GĂ©rard Depardieu.
05:10So in a month of a trial, the head of a country, the president said to the woman, OK, I don't
05:18care about what you say.
05:19I love GĂ©rard as a citizen and as a president.
05:22So it's it's insane.
05:25It's not normal.
05:26Benedict, just to wrap up, we just have a minute left.
05:28What are your thoughts as this trial begins today?
05:30Do you think that justice will be served?
05:33I don't know.
05:34I don't know because I'm very afraid about the genius of the of the acting of GĂ©rard.
05:40And I don't know which role he will have today, a hill man, a weak man, a good father, a good
05:47grandfather, an innocent man.
05:49So I'm very, very, very worried about this because he's genius.
05:56Don't forget it.
05:57It's genius is bad, but he has really talent for four years for hypnotized people, even
06:05the jury.
06:06And I think the justice will be here today and tomorrow.
06:10All right.
06:11Benedict Martin, thank you so much for coming in and sharing your experience here as that
06:15trial of GĂ©rard Depardieu gets underway.