Lately, we have seen a resistance to the #MeToo movement from a variety of filmmakers, including Terry Gilliam. While #MeToo has been called a “mob” by some, there are many that look at the movement as inspiring and powerful. But even those who disagree with #MeToo and the movement’s impact, one thing that everyone can agree on is that Harvey Weinstein is a piece of crap. Well, apparently not everyone thinks that way.
The former director of the Berlin and Venice Film Festivals, Moritz de Hadeln, recently wrote an op-ed for a Swiss news outlet, and in it, voiced his support for Weinstein and his displeasure with #MeToo. While de Hadeln discusses Weinstein’s irrefutable impact on European cinema, he goes a step further to excuse all of Weinstein’s actions, including the alleged sexual assault.
READ MORE: Terry Gilliam Equates #MeToo Movement To ‘Mob Rule’ And Talks Harvey Weinstein
“He’s one of the few Hollywood producers that truly love film,” Moritz de Hadeln wrote. “The lynch justice he’s now experiencing is just disgusting.”
De Hadln goes after other film festival directors who have spoken out against Weinstein, saying, “More than anyone else, they should understand the important role that the Weinstein brothers, Harvey in particular, have had in supporting European cinema. Banning Harvey means European cinema loses an important trump card, a person…whose expertise has made it possible for many important works to succeed.”
But as mentioned above, Moritz de Hadeln doesn’t just defend Weinstein’s effect on the European film industry. He wants the world to know that he think’s Harvey Weinstein should be left alone because of the lack of due process, saying that Weinstein “has not even been convicted of the crimes these numerous women have accused him of, but the voice of the people has denied him the right to the presumption of innocence… We should let the legal system decide if Weinstein has committed any crimes.”
He specifically mentions how the #MeToo movement is now questioning “the relationship between men and women, the attraction, and repulsion that is anchored in human nature.”
Forget the due process, and the effect of #MeToo on society, de Hadeln wants everyone to know that he defends Weinstein’s actions, even if what the women said is true. “When an actress is touched by Harvey Weinstein in an indecorous manner, goes alone the next day to his hotel room and then screams ‘Me too!’ you can only agree with [French actress] Brigitte Bardot in calling them a hypocrite.”