I disagree. Woody Allen, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese today added their names to a petition demanding the immediate release of Roman Polanski from detention in Zurich. But he doesnt mention that in his book. Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne - lARRF - Association des Ralisateurs et ralisatrices de Films - Belgique (Belgian Association of Filmmakers) His plea is on page 12: Do you understand the judge has not made any decision? Xavier Beauvois They trotted out the familiar defences: the Holocaust and Sharon Tate, of course. 13. Pedro Almodovar 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. Everyone signing this list should be ashamed of themselves. Patrick Braoud Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown and international artist now facing extradition. 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. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. In 1977, Roman Polanski was convicted of unlawful sex with a minor and fled the US rather than face jail time. Jacques Fansten i was somewhat sexually active at that time but still a virgin. I wonder how these signers would feel if it was one of their kids? Alexandre Arcady I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. whats more would you be alright with this man if he raped your little sister?Your daughter. His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against . It is also irrelevant if her mother was trying to vicariously enjoy a brush with stardom. We lived in a different world, and that doesn't excuse anything. - lUnion des producteurs de films 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? Polanskis autobiography was written seven years after his arrest, and his account of the crime does not smack of a man overly burdened with feelings of guilt. It will be much wiser, less obstinate and more generous to leave this exceptional man alone. 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. I still do. 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. We have learned the astonishing news of Roman Polanski's 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. We'll give you the hints and tips you need (and also the answers). 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. a host of actors have signed petitions on his behalf . Natalie Portman. do you see anyone saying thats ok? 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. Roger Kahane, And yet only a decade and a half earlier, Streep had stood and applauded when Polanski won best director at the 2003 Oscars, not so much tacitly approving rape as explicitly celebrating a convicted child rapist. Strip polanski of his resume and he is a man. Cant think of a bigger threat to our planet just now. Darren Aronofsky Laws - rape (statutory or otherwise) and escape from justice - have been broken. And yet Polanskis name is mentioned only sporadically, even though he is the only one with an actual conviction. he not only victimized her when she was 13 by being so selfish, he has been victimzing her for more than 30 years afterwards. Patrice Chereau It is immaterial as to the occupation of the Costa Gavras Drugging a girl, disregarding her repeated No, her faking an asthma attack to get him to stop is not real rape? None of my business. Will you too?' The student's petition, entitled: "Drop the petition for Roman Polanski's release", was launched last week, and has over 400 signatures. After Roman Polanski 's 2009 arrest in Switzerland for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl, more than 100 actors and directors united to release a petition urging for his . Actually, the film Wanted and Desired has notable inaccuracies and neglects to include the grand jury testimony which is readily available to the public. It is amazing at all of the people that dont care that a 13 year old girl was raped. Harvey. On September 16th, 2009, Mr. Charles Rivkin, the US Ambassador to France, received French artists and intellectuals at the embassy. Not real rape? Making good films does not exempt you from the law. Shocking what your statement implies. Readers, acquaintances and even friends couldnt tell me enough how wrong Id got it. A woman known only as Robin M reads her statement claiming Polanski sexually victimized her. Just ask her. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Patty Jenkins Told Chris Pine to Try Directing: 'You Gotta Do Something Besides Wait in Your Trailer', The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from 'Unsolved Mysteries' to 'McMillions' to 'The Staircase', 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023. Emir Kusturica I find it hard to believe that you would find it an acceptable excuse if it was your child who was sodomized. But mainly I heard people insist their friend is not a rapist. He would just be more careful.There are men who go unrevealed for years, even die before anyone finds out about them and here you have a man who was exposed and you support him?Yes he should be free to continue to do what he likes. NASA smacked an asteroid with a spacecraft. 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. Jean-Paul Rappeneau said that Polanski is "very clearly not a predator" and had a rant about how he is a family man. Since then, many of them with names on the petition have claimed that they were forced to sign it. i can only wish you all the worst, and i hope you come to feel deeply ashamed. (Page 13), On march 13, 1977, the day you had sexual intercourse how old did you believe her to be?, Are you pleading guilty Freely and voluntarily?. He is a child rapist and he needs to pay for his crime. Dont worry YM, I didnt forget you. That does not make what he did any better. - le SPI Michael Mann My eyes were not open.. One would think that these filmmakers have enough money to hire a proper lawyer to draft their petition, if they were serious about it. Nelly Kaplan Alexander Payne In 2018, Dolan apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. I plan to try very hard to never see any work done by anyone who signed this petition. In 2016, when promoting recent film Julieta, Almodovar criticized the limited parts conventionally written for women. We reached out to some of the most high-profile signatories. 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023. I admire Mr. Polanskis work. Roman was charged with sex with minor, not real rape. And I propose a boycott of all those individuals (and their businesses) who supported the illegal and murderous war in Iraq.. Lets show we really care about children! The following is the SACD petition, followed by a list of names of people who had signed it as of tonight. To me, child abuse is the where I will absolutely put my line in the sand. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. 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. 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. Madness. The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Again, some ignore me, a couple will talk off the record, some are too busy to talk at all. There, he gave her champagne and, according to her, quaaludes. He never admited to raping anyone.. On these facts, everyone agrees. $17.99 + $4.99 shipping. and what does this have to do with children in other countries being raped and starved to death, jarre? children. We'll give you the hints and tips you need (and also the answers). His movies went on to win six Oscars. The case is not a case of morals. Adrien Brody with Polanksi, during filming of The Pianist, 2002. 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. So, I helped Polanski rape someone because Ive watched Chinatown about a dozen times. Tue 29 Sep 2009 10.24 EDT. "All I can say is jetlag and lateness. Gabriel Auer The director of The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums recently premiered his latest effort, Isle of Dogs, at the Berlin Film Festival. Terry Gilliam Paul Boujenah Claude Lelouch 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. Polanski was originally indicted on six counts of criminal behaviour, to which he pleaded not guilty. Festival organisers rejected German actress Claudia Eisinger's call to lay out a black carpet in solidarity with sexual violence survivors, despite over 23,000 people signing her petition. Throughout my work and throughout the years I have been vocal and supportiveI try to generate not only key positions for female directors and first-time directors but also write powerful parts for female actresses in ways that are not the quote on quote usual way.". They protect their own, I protect my own. His arrest follows an American arrest warrant dating from 1978 against the filmmaker, in a case of morals. - lARP Mario Martone He was a filmmaker whose work I admired greatly. 1. Jerry Schatzberg Claude Lanzmann The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. I too have loved many of his films, and consider him a great artist - but that doesnt excuse his crime. Pascal Thomas What is the big deal about the Reverend Polanski? This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom, the petition read. I can only hope they are not aware of the full allegations. 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??? Alain Jessua Or do I have him confused with some other child-molesting priest? I dont tacitly approve of rape, said Meryl Streep. She spread herself and I entered her. Abderrahmane Sissako the victims opinion, in case of Stockholm syndrome or whatever. Actually Polanski never admitted to raping anyone. Dear Roman you have my full support. 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. im ashamed and sickened. 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. Laurent Heynemann 5. I wrote about the documentary for this paper when it came out, as it struck me as astonishingly exculpatory. 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. Polanski is a child molester. Shall we all rape, murder, steal, defraud etc. A 13-year-old cannot give consent to have sex with an adult male. 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 . and seeing people in the comments try to defend him as well by saying the girl was mature for her age? But Thompson had to be talked out of signing the Polanski petition in 2009 by a 19-year-old. 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. Dominique Crevecoeur She forgave him yes but the law does not forgive. The two directors and more than 100 other filmmakers and actors have signed a petition voicing their. We demand the immediate release of Roman Polanski, urges the petition. Patty Jenkins Told Chris Pine to Try Directing: 'You Gotta Do Something Besides Wait in Your Trailer' Jacques Bral i feel ashamed sometimes,like a complete whore.but it was of my consent.so i sucked it up,and i never told anyone.if someone were to find out,there is no doubt id say its rape. 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. 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 hope all of you outraged ones stay away from children everywhere. Woody Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorcese, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Harmony Korine, Stephen Frears . Stephane Allagnon He never even apologized to the woman. You people that support this kind of act should be ashamed of yourselves. This kind of hypocrisy about Polanski makes you wonder how serious the industry really is about dealing with this problem, as it claims to be. Danis Tanovic 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. Thats always going to be true, but we should keep trying to do the right thing. Back in 2009, film industry luminaries signed a petition to release Roman Polanski from a Swiss prison and now one star is regretting it. Artists are not above the law in any country.. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. All Rights Reserved. I was looking for the petition to sign, but heres my comment: LEAVE THE POOR GUY ALONE. She said regardless of the fact she knows him and the terrible things he has been through, a crime is a crime," Hayward-Tapp told the Independent in 2009. Anyone whose name is on this petition, is supporting an admitted (he did admit it) rapist/child molester. Gilles Behat I just went through my Netflix queue and carefully combed out all movies affiliated with any of these people. 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. 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. 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. So is Roman Polanski. Or else every case involving Stockholm Syndrome would never be tried. Rosalinde et Michel Deville The whole world will be so much safer if Polanski ends his days behind bars. Classic movies. 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. 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 was done to that 13 year old victim should not be perpetrated on any child. Claude Miller He never contested that his victim told him no repeatedly, or that he drugged her. I do along with those who loves Also an artist and a film lover. Though he was released from custody by July 2010, over 100 members of the film industry . never mind. 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. When Polanski was arrested in Zurich in 2009 in a failed attempt by the US to extradite him, more than 100 celebrities signed a petition demanding his release. Im deeply disappointed in the people that signed this shameful petition. Ren Gainville I hope the tide is finally turning.. I happen to believe that. 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. Martin Scorcese Fonda made his professional. The man is an animal and a coward. For a more extensive detailing of Polanskis arrest and potential extradition to the United States, check out indieWIREs coverage from earlier today. Mr. Polanski is not a threat to anyone. Feminist here! 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. But apparently, you artists arent supposed to be subjected to the rules and expectations we mere mortals face. 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. Perhaps the judge got away with what Polanski was accused of. "I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. That is automatically rape as a child cannot give informed consent. Like all arguments in Polanskis defence, the documentary stresses the previous tragedies in his life: his mother, four months pregnant, was killed in the Holocaust; his wife, eight months pregnant, was brutally murdered by the Manson family. but this summer,when right when i turned 14 i gave in and had sex with a 27 year old man. Michele Placido On Tuesday, Natalie Portman apologized for signing the 2009 petition in support of Polanski. Polanski directs Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly in the 2011 film Carnage. - la Cinmathque de Dijon / Cinmathque Jean Douchet K, Uhlman, please dont get all circus of blood here. Unfortunately, he passed [] There was that applause from Hollywood luminaries when he won the 2003 Oscar (Polanski, of course, did not attend the ceremony, as he was still officially on the lam). The petition demanding "the immediate release" of Polanski attracted more than 100 signatures, including Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Tilda Swinton and Wong Kar Wai. like to see where they end up. Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Jeremy Irons, Harrison Ford, Guillermo Del Toro, Martin Scorsese, Natalie Portman, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Terry Gilliam, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, Johnny Depp, Sam Mendes, Neil Jordan, Steven Soderbergh, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Mann and Mike Nichols The full list is here How is this even up for debate? Betrand Van Effenterre Some dont reply at all, despite repeated approaches. A shameful chapter indeed - let us hope it will soon be brought to a close. These included Harrison Ford,. While researching this article I had a couple of off-the-record discussions with actors and film-makers about their true feelings about Polanski. Radovan Tadic Buck Henry David Heyman 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. 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. The bottom line is that in this country we face justice.