Portrait of a Lady on Fire star, Adèle Haenel, announced her decision to quit cinema due to what she perceives as the French film industry’s inaction in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Haenel spoke candidly about her disillusionment with the industry and her reasons for stepping away.
Haenel’s decision to leave the film industry comes after several allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful figures in the French film industry surfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Despite the allegations, Haenel says that she has seen little change in the industry’s response to these issues. “There is a very strong inertia in the French film industry that is not only related to sexual violence, but to all forms of domination,” she told The New York Times.
Haenel has been a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement in France since 2017, when she accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexual harassment during the making of her first film, Les Diables. Despite Haenel’s accusations, Ruggia was not charged with a crime until 2019, and was only given a suspended sentence earlier this year.
Haenel’s decision to leave the film industry has been met with mixed reactions. Some have praised her for taking a stand and calling attention to the industry’s lack of progress on issues of sexual harassment and abuse, while others have criticized her for abandoning a platform that could be used to effect change.
Regardless of the reaction, Haenel’s decision to leave the film industry is a poignant reminder of the work that still needs to be done in addressing issues of sexual harassment and abuse in the entertainment industry, not just in France, but around the world. As Haenel herself noted in her interview with The New York Times, “It’s not just about the people who have been victims, it’s about everyone who has allowed this system to continue for so long.”