French cinema is under pressure. This is not because of declining audiences or artistic controversy, but because of a problem that has been hidden for years behind red curtains, film-festival glamour and big-name stars: sexual violence and abuse of power in the film industry.
Actress Sara Forestier is now considered one of the most influential voices in France’s #MeToo movement. She has called on politicians and the industry itself, with rare frankness, to end impunity. Her words have struck a sensitive nerve—and with great force.
As early as late 2024, at a hearing before a parliamentary inquiry committee, Forestier described many experiences that shocked observers. She spoke of humiliation and violence on sets and of situations that left her, as a young actress, almost speechless. Particularly sensitive was the fact that after an incident during a shoot she was advised not to file a complaint. The production cared more about financial loss than her protection. That statement landed like a punch.
Since then, a red line has run through France’s cultural sphere. More and more actresses have gone public with experiences that were once discussed only in hushed tones. Names such as Judith Godrèche and Adèle Haenel have not only shaped film but have taken part in France’s social debate.
The inquiry committee led by politician Sandrine Rousseau ultimately described a system shaped by long-standing dependencies. Young actresses, freelancers and interns—many chose silence for fear of harming their careers. Those who resist often face more than just losing a role. In the film world, such news spreads very quickly.
The committee reports already published go further and point to “systemic” gender and sex-based discriminatory violence in the cultural sector. This is not just a political slogan; it means these issues are no longer seen as individual cases but as part of the structure.
The real conflict thus begins.
Because while many cultural workers call for profound reform, others strongly resist. Some directors and producers warn of so-called “witch hunts,” while others accuse the industry of long willful blindness. Today there is a deep rift between these two camps.
Therefore, Forestier not only demands judicial consequences. Her call is also directed at production companies and film associations. Proposals include better protection of minors, clear complaint channels, intimacy coordinators on sets, and greater accountability from producers. Issues that became standard in Hollywood after the Harvey Weinstein affair still spark heated debate in the French film world.
France may be experiencing a cultural turning point. This long-standing tradition of author-driven cinema has often taken pride in pushing boundaries and artistic freedom, but it must now accept new rules. Some see this as necessary modernization, others as an attack on the whole culture.
But one thing seems very clear: the silence that for years hung over the industry like a thick curtain is gradually being torn open, and that curtain is hardly likely to be closed again.
Andreas M. B.