But stop with the pathetic kowtowing to a predator, please. In 2018, Portman apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. Dominique Crevecoeur Ettore Scola Actually, the film Wanted and Desired has notable inaccuracies and neglects to include the grand jury testimony which is readily available to the public. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Giuseppe Tornatore Are you kidding me? Roman Polanski has been a fugitive from justice for 30 years and it is time he manned up and dealt with the situation. Polanski raped a 13 year old girl and skipped out on the sentencing he should rot in jail for a long time. And I was like, sure. Alexandre Arcady Tony Gatlif Gilles Behat "The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. Also to send out the right signal to society. He plead guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful sex with a minor because he knew they had enough evidence to fry his ass if it went to trial. I was looking for the petition to sign, but heres my comment: LEAVE THE POOR GUY ALONE. Gilles Jacob He must be brought to justice. The judge certainly didnt give A DAMN about the girl. Tilda Swinton would like to graciously pass on being interviewed. 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. Those that signed the petition, I would All Rights Reserved. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Thats why even though there are many other bad things in the world, this one IS important. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. Christophe Barratier We'll give you the hints and tips you need (and also the answers). Etienne Faure At the end of the day Polanski fled not because of a legal transgression on the part of the California justice system but because he thinks hes above the law and does not have to answer to a code of ethics that conflicts with his selfish and perverse tastes. And yet, for the past 40 years, many of them have been falling over themselves to work with a self-confessed child rapist, even defending him by pointing to his artistic credentials. Cant think of a bigger threat to our planet just now. As for those listed above, their association with this ill-conceived effort will always taint my opinion of them and while I dont necessarily agree that viewing CHINATOWN condones pedophilia there is a certain stink that hangs over anything associated with Roman Polanski and to a degree that stink will rub off on the signatures above. I might not like it, but I can separate the man from his work. Or do I have him confused with some other child-molesting priest? The judge went back on his word because he was afriad of public opinion like yours. The above people think its OK to rape children if you make good films. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. If he's lucky.". so dont free him :), First off Mr. Polanski did not rape anyone. W. and others have committed terrible crimes and gone unpunished. In the aftermath of Polanski's arrest last weekend, a number of performers -- including Penelope Cruz, Tilda Swinton and Monica Bellucci -- appear as supporters on a petition which states,. 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. Some dont reply at all, despite repeated approaches. 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 Sunday in Switzerland on a warrant for a 1977 underage sex case in the United States. Given Portman's active involvement in the Time's Up movement, her signing of the petition came from a misplaced sense of empathy. 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. Broadly reached out to Anderson to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. Alfonso Cuaron He admitted to unlawfully having sex as part of a plea bargain the judge tried to renege on. The fact that Switzerland is a neutral country does not make it a lawless country. Kingsley, who has worked with Polanski multiple times, would need to pass. This list is a paltry portion of the total number of A-list film celebrities with their names on the petition. Broadly reached out to del Toro to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. That does not change that he committed statutory rape against a 13 year old, drugged her, and fled the country. His plea is on page 12: Do you understand the judge has not made any decision? I mean, Ted Bundy oh. 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. Please! Those of you who think this is the same as rape should watch Oleanna. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. 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. She spread herself and I entered her. the mindset to handle this cituation in a mature i do realize that no ones is going to take me seriously,but here it goes anyways. Argue all you want, I dont know ANY 13 year old girls who can hold there Quaaludes & champagne AND still say yes to having sex with a sick, dirty old man. I hope he finally gets his punishment and for the ones who signed this list: Im avoiding your work from now on! jarre and diana, the point that polanski never admitted to raping anyone is a big problem here. Is this a world gone mad!!! Watch what happened next. Mario Martone Polanski is a child rapist probably a serial child rapist. It will be much wiser, less obstinate and more generous to leave this exceptional man alone. He should not have to go on trial again for a 30 year old statutory rape, but should have to answer to the flight. Thompson claims to have signed the petition, but later asked for her name to be removed. Kent Jones But then again, the judge apparently liked some very young women as well. What happened to the feminists?, Wow, Laslavic- you are one classy guy!(/sarcasm). He then had sex with her, drove her home and, the next day, was arrested. Jean-Paul Rappeneau I say treat them all equally! Well, eight years is a long time in sexual mores. Claude Lelouch Polanski denies the claims. Can any of you remember what you were like at 13? The only difference is weve come to our senses while they havent! ", A designer's vision of the future involves robots that care for us in our final moments. thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html. (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?. I hope all of you outraged ones stay away from children everywhere. Sam Gabarski Who gives a shit? A woman known only as Robin M reads her statement claiming Polanski sexually victimized her. My eyes were not open," she said. Yasmina Reza Tue 29 Sep 2009 10.24 EDT. Children are abused, murdered, go hungry every day. 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. 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. like to see where they end up. Andr Larqui I find it hard to believe that you would find it an acceptable excuse if it was your child who was sodomized. I happen to believe that. Fanny Ardant Harvey. If only the same were true of politicians, the military, the justice establishment, and the multibillionaire elite. Stuck on 'Quordle' #401? By signing up to the Mashable newsletter you agree to receive electronic communications The rest say they are too busy. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. Monica Bellucci No excuses. Patrice Leconte To not face your own actions but run away when you dont like the consequences. I understand that there seems to have been a biased judge in the original case. Henning Carlsen Its war neutrality does not preclude it from signing a necessary extradition treaty with another country. . He only confessed to a lesser charge through a plea agreement. Natalie Portman admitted that she made a mistake when she signed a petition to release Roman Polanski from Swiss custody in 2009 after he was . We lived in a different world, and that doesn't excuse anything. Everytime you pop in Rosemarys baby or Chinatown think about how YOU helped commit the rape of a 13 year old girl. In 2018, Dolan apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. and seeing people in the comments try to defend him as well by saying the girl was mature for her age? Darren Aronofsky 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. David Heyman I understand that Hitler was a good painterMaybe we shouldnt have closed in on and bombed his bunker because good painters are a treasure.. A pedophile. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. After Thompson initially signed the petition, Caitlin Hayward-Tappa student at Exeter Universitychallenged the actress about her support for Polanski. 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. Barbet Schroeder But Zenovich does not mention how it also helped him. It was stupid To take a childhood from a person is the worst thing there is. But like so many narcissistic and selfish Americans, a crime is only a crime when it happens to YOU, screw everyone else. Feminist groups that challenged him were derided or ignored. Just as astonishing is Sharon Tates sister - a supposed victims advocate saying Polanski is a lovely man and should be free. Prefer the fantasy of one his films? Jerry Schatzberg whats more would you be alright with this man if he raped your little sister?Your daughter. 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. Shame on all of you. Yes other people get away with this. Why, however, any of you think that this somehow excuses the fact that the man drugged and raped a child is beyond me. Many 13 year olds - boys and girls- have sex and very often with those older than them. Should this even be up for discussion? Alongside Asia Argento and Emma Thompson, Natalie Portman remains one of the few celebrities to apologize for signing the petition. Afterwards, in Polanskis car, Gailey cried. Moreover, more allegations have been made against him: in 2010, British actor Charlotte Lewis said Polanski abused her in 1983 when she was 16. Pascal Thomas Michel Ferry The . Read and educate yourself. She is a child. Paul Boujenah 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. We have a duty to protect the innocence of children. That doesnt change the fact that mr Polanski is a scumbag and a halve who drugged and raped a child when he was 44, fled the country to live in France where he continued to make movies, live a good life etc. 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. Really, you are worse than the most rabid of Polanskis detractors. 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). I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. Ren Gainville Madness. Tonie Marshall If youre not going to enforce laws, then whats the point in having any? If you knew any feminists, youd know that most, if not all, are on your side in this particular case (although probably for very different reasons). 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. Polanskis own attitude has remained bullish; in October last year he gave an interview in which he focused his ire on the judges who let him down. I sympathize with Ms. Gaileys feelings, however, this man should not be free to victimize other children. These people who hold such power over the media, have a duty to defend the victim not this unrepentant, repulsive excuse for of a man. People keep affirming that Polanski did this and did that as if they were there at the time. I had an extraordinary working experience with both of those men, and thats the truth.. I do along with those who loves children. 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. There, he gave her champagne and, according to her, quaaludes. Natalie Portman. 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. I have copied this list so that I can keep it for all time (yes, I hold a grudge a long, long, time). Also an artist and a film lover. A 13-year-old cannot give consent to have sex with an adult male. Roger Kahane, By the beginning of this century, while the general American public remained firmly set against Polanski, the mood in Hollywood was openly in his favour. 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. Reactions to Weinstein come soundtracked with the distinct sound of bandwagon-jumping; thanks to the #MeToo campaign, the public mood is firmly on the side of listening to victims, and Hollywood has keenly followed suit. Hope Polanski gets his! Polanski showed not even the slightest sign of regret, but stated in an interview that everybody wants to sleep with young girls or whatever. Rittenband was thought to be considering sentencing him to 50 years in prison, which was when Polanski fled. polanski never openly apologized and the only reason why this case has dragged on for so long is because polanski denied raping her and skipped town. Lets go folks!! Drugging a girl, disregarding her repeated No, her faking an asthma attack to get him to stop is not real rape? Readers, acquaintances and even friends couldnt tell me enough how wrong Id got it. There are no hazy conspiracy theories we know exactly what happened because Polanski admitted to it and later wrote about it in astonishing detail in his autobiography, Roman by Polanski, published six years after he left the US and went to France, where he still lives. "And it's really unfortunate, and was a surprise to me for sure. Adrien Brody, who won an Oscar for The Pianist, was unable to participate due to schedule. 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? We lived in a different world, and that doesn't excuse anything. 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. 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. Artists are not above the law in any country. But I ask her how it feels to see Polanski, a convicted sex offender, still held up as a celebrated director, and what it says about the industrys true feelings about women and girls. Part of me feels extreme disgust right now because I think that the pass many are giving to Polanski is a reflection of a misogynistic culture that deep down believes a woman (or in this case, a girl) always wants it. means nothing. But Thompson had to be talked out of signing the Polanski petition in 2009 by a 19-year-old. The fact that Polanski assumed that he could travel without hindrance shows only his blatant disregard for the law of any country. Much emphasis is made in the movie about how Polanskis celebrity hurt him during the trial, which is true. He hadnt committed rape-rape, Whoopi Goldberg said on TV. 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 . I start by emailing Zenovich to ask if she feels attitudes towards Polanski have changed since she made her movie and its follow-up, Roman Polanski: Odd Man Out, about the Zurich arrest. If Hollywood has grown so insular from and arrogant to society at large, its time they were knocked down a peg or two. - la Cinmathque de Dijon / Cinmathque Jean Douchet Jean-Michel Carre She played Lena, while her co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh played Dr. Ventress, described as being of Asian and Native American background respectively in the novel. But, in truth, for many British and US actors, working with Polanski never lost its cachet, and arguably had even more once he became excluded from the US mainstream. One admitted they regretted their previous support, given the new allegations, but couldnt bring themselves to say so publicly. Accept Read More. California turns people loose that are highly likely to offend again due to space and budgetary issues. 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. I can only hope they are not aware of the full allegations. 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. We should not however allow him to ever enter this country again. But he doesnt mention that in his book. 4. It speaks terribly of the industry, she replies. I dont know what the rationals might be for those who seek his pardoning, be it moral ambiguity, sycophancy, going along with what they see as hip or simply the belief that the group they belong to is somehow superior and has a right to use common people for their own amusement, but it would be a mistake to give the law a pass to accommodate this utterly reprehensible man. Dont worry YM, I didnt forget you. Christian Carion No one should have pity for him - his suffering is completely self-inflicted. Polanski has not served his time and now he is guilty of evading justice. Id say that a number of these (American) one-hit wonders and struggling Indie folks appear to want to install themselves in more-accomplished company. (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.). Nelly Kaplan And please dont take the whole But but hes so charming and he gives to charity! defense. Abderrahmane Sissako I then contact 25 actors who have worked with Polanski since his arrest, including Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, Kim Cattrall, Pierce Brosnan and Jodie Foster. Defending Polanski in the face of his full admission of drugging and raping a 13 year-old, fleeing charges because he thought he was too important to face the consequences of his actions, boasting to Martin Amis that EVERYONE wants to F*** little girls! and complaining how HE is the victim (in true sociopathic form) by not being able to work in Hollywood for 30 years, while never ONCE saying that what he did was unfathomably wrong, has nothing of importance to say about humanity. That does not make what he did any better. He never was. The issue is effective consent not whether you like or dislike someones sexual preference or activity. Grard Lenne My level of disgust for these petitions cannot even be fully expressed. 3. Unfortunately, he passed [] Strip polanski of his resume and he is a man. Do you understand the court will make no decision regarding probation and sentencing until the judge reads all of the reports, Do you understand at the time of your sentencing, the prosecutor may argue that you should go to state prison or be incarcerated in the county jail?, (to Polanskis attorney) Have you explained to your client all of the possible outcomes? a host of actors have signed petitions on his behalf . Jacques Bral Alexandre Tylski The charges against him were for having sex with a minor, even if consensual a moral charge, as is stated in the petition. "I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. Just ask her. Again, some ignore me, a couple will talk off the record, some are too busy to talk at all. You should watch Roman Polanski Wanted or Desired. On these facts, everyone agrees. He should have been prosecuted as well, even if no teenagers were involved in his misdeeds. The two directors and more than 100 other filmmakers and actors have signed a petition voicing their. In 2009, when Polanski was arrested at a Zurich airport in a failed extradition attempt, over 100 Hollywood celebrities signed a petition calling for his release. To not feel remorse. I express my deepest respect to those who were brave enough to sign the petition and withstand the blood-seeking mob. Ladislas Kijno He blamed jet lag. Wong Kar Wa 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.".