On the poster for the film “Les Amandiers”, by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, the 25 -year -old actor is the subject of three indictments, two for rape on old companions and one for violence on spouse.
by zineb dryef, clarisse fabre, gilles roof (marseille, correspondent) and Nathalie Stey (Strasbourg, correspondence)
This is a matter that plunges the profession into embarrassment. On the poster for the film Les Amandiers, directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, actor Sofiane Bennacer, 25, is the subject of three indictments, two for rape on old companions and one for violence on spouses, like the ‘revealed Le Parisien and Liberation. In a long message posted on Instagram, he claims his innocence: “Does the presumption of innocence still exist? Or are we in a state of lawlessness, a state where the simple baseless accusation can destroy a life ? “
“A pure media lynching,” denounced Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, his partner, in a press release, Friday, November 25, who assumes having chosen this young actor while having had rumors about him. “My producers expressed fears and reluctance, but I told them that these rumors did not stop me and that I could not consider making the film without him.” She continues: “For my part, I had For the past few months to know Sofiane Bennacer in work, especially during the long period of rehearsals, and to be completely confident on her human qualities: when we film someone, we “see” who we have Faced with you. “
Selected from the list of thirty-two actors preselected for the Césars of female and male revelations, Sofiane Bennacer was finally excluded. The Academy of César ended up taking note of “information published by the press concerning the indictment of the actor and the judicial control which is imposed on him”.
repeated alerts
This is precisely this absence of reactions, despite repeated alerts, from casting to the reception of the film, which is today denounced. Two cinemas-The Ecran of Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis) and the Concorde in La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée)-have already announced that they have removed the almond trees from their programming, while calls At Boycott are starting to circulate on social networks. On Instagram, the very active #Metotheatre collective denounced the “omerta” of the profession: “the structuring of our trades and society is built on the protection of the aggressors and the” silencement “of the victims. Once again , this system is verified in this case with a production which discusses its responsibilities relating to labor law. “
It is on the boards that it all started. In January 2021, at the Strasbourg National Theater (TNS), Sofiane Bennacer was accused of rape by one of his comrades. The facts she denounces date back to 2018, when they were both students at the spinning in Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin). They were then in a relationship. The management of the establishment claims to have collected at the time “no testimony, no information that could have put us in the ear”.
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