Gérard Depardieu, accused of sexual assault on two women during filming Green Shutters in 2021, is judged from this Monday, October 28 by a criminal court. In addition to these complaints, the French actor is the subject of dozens of accusations of sexual assault and rape. Since #MeToo, speech has been freed. However, on film sets or in theaters, silence continues and attacks are not decreasing, according to feminist activists. In Évreux, the actresses and members of the MeTooThéâtre collective rehearse their show The Histrionics.
On the dimly lit stage, the actresses rehearse, text in hand. One of them, Louise Brzezowska-Dudek, is wearing a large T-shirt on which a great white shark is drawn with its jaws open. The piece is called The Histrionicsa (mysterious) title that the young woman explains. “ Histrionics is a word that is used in psychiatry and in psychiatric expertise, more precisely to stigmatize victims of rape. »
Because that’s what it says the room : the rape of an actress who turns to the members of the MeTooThéâtre collective, to ask them to help her. The text resonates in the rehearsal room: “ She left to get her things, he joined her in the dressing rooms downstairs. Without saying anything, he fell on her. »
This play is also the story of women who fight together against sexist and sexual violence.“We decided to write, direct, perform all together, explains Séphora Haymann, one of the actresses. We play and tell a case of violence in the theater world that we follow and which is “a typical case”. »
“We receive testimonies from thirty years ago as much as from two years ago”
MeTooThéâtre is celebrating its third anniversary this year. “ At the beginning, the MeTooThéâtre was really to raise awareness of matters which, in the community, were not shared, notes Marie Coquille-Chambel, doctoral student in theater studies and one of the figures of the movement. With The Histrionicsshe takes her first steps on the stage. She continues: “ And gradually, we began to support victims, we warned structures of acts of violence committed by their employees, etc. So it took a much broader turn than just the simple visibility that we wanted to do at the beginning. »
There was the MeTooThéâtre hashtag, numerous revelations, a book, indictments… but, according to these women, the fight is not over. “ It is not weakening, we receive testimonies from thirty years ago as well as from two years ago, or two weeks ago, observes Marie Coquille-Chambel. We also receive a lot of people who write to us without really knowing what they want to do. »
Young generations who come together and no longer accept reports of violence
Séphora Haymann still has hope: in schools, the young generation is gradually making things happen: “ Students are no longer able to accept reports of violence at work. They come together to pass on information about teachers or trainers who may be problematic, relates the actress. They come together in class to say: “We don’t accept that, we don’t agree with that, we don’t want to work with such and such a person.” »
From now on, training is compulsory in cultural structures. There must also be referents. And everywhere, brochures and information guides on this violence. “ Yes, it’s good, training is essential, but as long as the law does not evolve, as long as convictions do not evolve, as long as the culture of rape is still at work, things will not move forward. “, denounces Séphora Haymann.
The collective’s requests are numerous, the activists ask among other things to remind the directors of theaters, companies or schools that they must protect all people claiming to be victims of violence.
To listen in The Debate of the day#MeToo and cinema: what is the problem?