When the film was finished, it was rewarded with an applause that lasted for a “paltry” three minutes, writes Variety.
Modest, at least compared to Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro”, which was applauded for ten minutes after its screening. Or with Luc Besson’s “Dogman”, which tore down six minutes.
90-year-old Roman Polanski himself was not in attendance, but actors Fanny Ardant and Oliver Masucci were there to receive the crowd’s cheers, which appeared more polite than sincere, according to Variety.
Roman Polanski’s participation is disputed. The director is convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in California in the 1970s and has eluded American justice ever since. In recent years, his place in the fine room of European cinema has been increasingly questioned.
Recently, the film’s producer complained that they had not managed to sell the film to distributors in either the USA, France or Great Britain, despite several well-known names in the cast.