The controversy that surrounds filmmaker Roman Polanksi isn’t something that was newly discovered when the #MeToo movement began several years ago. No, Polanski’s well-documented conviction of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor has been public knowledge for decades, and his eventual escape to Europe to evade prison time has lasted just as long. But as with Woody Allen, the revival of interest in Polanski’s sexual assault and fugitive status came several years ago, leading to his dismissal from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a persona non grata status amongst Hollywood studios.
Yet through all of this (again, much like Woody Allen), the filmmaker still finds work. His most recent film, “The Officer and the Spy,” debuted at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, eventually winning the Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize. And now, a couple of years later, filming is set to begin soon on his latest feature, “The Palace.”
According to Deadline, Rai Cinema is the studio that is backing the upcoming film, “The Palace,” by director Roman Polanski. The film is based on a script that Polanski co-wrote with Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski and tells the story of various guests at a luxurious Swiss hotel on the night of New Year’s Eve in 1999.
“The first draft of the screenplay came to me a couple of days ago” said CEO of Rai Cinema, Paolo Del Brocco. “I can’t give details because I don’t have Polanski’s permission. Great directors are very protective of their work. We should shoot in the fall.”
He added, “I know that Polanski carries some controversy, but we are interested in the artistic side. the quality of the stories, not the personal story. At the Venice Film Festival the presence of his latest film, ‘The Officer and the Spy,’ raised protests, but then he won the Grand Jury Prize.”
So, it’s clear the folks at Rai Cinema are well aware of Polanski’s past controversies but are willing to look past that in the name of art. And you really can’t blame a businessman for seeing the potential profit of having Polanski’s name attached to something, especially after his previous film was so well received in Europe. In that sense, it appears that Polanski and Allen have found a way to bypass the Hollywood system by staying in Europe.
No release date has been set for “The Palace,” but if production begins in the fall, a 2022 festival premiere date is likely.
