Without a doubt, there are more eyes on this year’s César Awards than previous ceremonies. Why is that? Well, the truth is that after the nominations were announced and Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” earned 12 nominations (the most of any film), people weren’t so concerned about the actual awards but by the French organization’s honoring of Polanski himself, especially in light of his decades-old sexual assault conviction and his recent actions as a result of his expulsion from the Academy.
Recently, actress (and fellow César nominee) Adèle Haenel put it succinctly when she said, “Distinguishing Polanski is spitting in the face of all victims. It means raping women isn’t that bad.”
Now, in light of the controversy and all the discussion over the validity of the nominations, it appears that Polanski is fed up and has decided not to attend this year’s awards ceremony. According to a statement from the filmmaker (via Variety), he feels like he was given no choice in the matter.
“For several days, people have asked me this question: Will I or won’t I attend the Cesar ceremony? The question I ask in turn is this: How could I?” said Polanski.
“The way the night will unfold, we already know in advance,” he added. “Activists have already threatened me with a public lynching, Some have announced protests in front of the Salle Pleyel. Others intend to make it a platform to denounce (the) governing body. It promises to look more like a symposium than a celebration of cinema.”
The filmmaker goes on to defend the film’s nominations, saying that they shouldn’t be presented as “gifts” but instead as the result of thousands of votes.
“The press and social media have presented our 12 nominations as if they were gifts offered to us by the academy’s board of directors, as some authoritarian gesture that had forced their resignations. Doing so undermines the secret vote of the 4,313 professionals who alone decide the nominations, and the more than 1.5 million viewers who came to see the film.”
Obviously, whether or not Polanski attends has no effect on who wins the awards. So, even without his attendance, there’s a distinct possibility that the discussion surrounding the event, especially if “An Officer and a Spy” wins some awards, will revolve around the filmmaker.
The César Awards will be handed out tomorrow.