Since the start of last July, a prestigious institution such as the Cinémathèque française has, for the first time, a woman as president, after the end of the term of the 93-year-old director Costa Gavras. This is Isabelle Huppert, one of the great actresses and icons of French cinema worldwide. A living legend who, at 73, has spoken quite clearly about the so-called “cancel culture”.
Chosen by the board of directors of the Parisian institution for a three-year term, she brings with her a filmography of 150 film roles, and now the responsibility of guarding the temple of cinema, founded in 1936 by Henri Langlois, which preserves 50,000 films and almost a million cinema-related documents. Given the controversies in recent months and years about the selection of works and directors to be screened at the Cinémathèque, from Bertolucci’s controversial Last Tango in Paris to films by authors accused or convicted of sexual violence or other crimes, Huppert answered questions on the topic #MeToo posed by the weekly Paris Match.
She stated, “the Cinémathèque is an exemplary institution; it must have international resonance, present the cinematographies of the world, and attract a new audience. Its mission is to keep cultural heritage alive, stay in step with the present, and thus always be attentive to attracting younger viewers,” she declared. “The goal is to preserve works, which are cultural assets.” She adds that she is perfectly aware that “in certain circumstances, films are overshadowed by the history that accompanies them,” which does not mean that they should be hidden from the public from now on. “They are also collective works, and that would be like a collective punishment. Everyone is free to watch them or not.” It is only appropriate to recall some facts, not ignore them. Céline… or not?
In the interview with the weekly, she also said she does not renounce any of the directors with whom she has worked in the past, including Benoît Jacquot, with whom she collaborated seven times, up to 2022, i.e., two years before the director in his seventies was the subject of serious accusations. Several actresses, indeed, including Isild Le Besco and Judith Godrèche, have accused him of sexual harassment, psychological and physical violence, and rape.
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