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| Adèle Haenel |
French actress Adèle Haenel, known for her performances in critically acclaimed films such as Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Deerskin, has announced that she is leaving the film industry for "political reasons." In a letter to French magazine Télérama, Haenel denounced the "general complacency" towards "sexual aggressors" like Gérard Depardieu and Roman Polanski, stating that she decided to politicize her retirement from cinema to call attention to this issue. Haenel added that the French film industry had reacted with indifference to #MeToo accusations.
Haenel, who previously shared that she was abused by director Christophe Ruggia between the ages of 12 and 15, called out the industry for protecting individuals accused of sexual misconduct, such as Depardieu and Polanski. Depardieu has faced multiple allegations of sexual inappropriate behavior, while Polanski has an outstanding US warrant for fleeing a court case in which he was convicted of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl. Despite these accusations, both continue to have successful careers in the film industry, which Haenel finds problematic.
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Haenel has been a vocal critic of Polanski, having previously walked out of the César Awards ceremony in 2020 when he won Best Director for An Officer and a Spy. Haenel's actions and statements reflect a larger issue within the film industry, where individuals who have been accused of sexual misconduct or abuse often face little to no repercussions for their actions.
In a recent interview with German magazine FAQ, Haenel described the film industry as "absolutely reactionary, racist, and patriarchal." She criticized the hypocrisy of the industry, pointing out that the director of the CNC, the French organization for the promotion of cinema, Dominique Boutonnat, remains in office despite being indicted for sexual assault. Haenel also rejected the notion of being part of a "feminist washing machine," stating that she did not want to be a feminist guarantee to a masculine and patriarchal industry.
Haenel's decision to leave the film industry has been met with support from many individuals in the industry, including fellow actresses and actors. Haenel's last performance was in Aude Léa Rapin's 2019 film Les héros ne meurent jamais, and her next project, The Empire, a science-fiction movie from director Bruno Dumont, has also been dropped due to disagreements over subject matter and cast.
Haenel has stated that she will continue to act in theater and is open to someday making independent films with collaborators she trusts. However, for now, she is leaving the film industry to take part in another world, in another cinema, one that does not defend a capitalist, patriarchal, racist, sexist world of structural inequality.
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