By Jeffrey Schaeffer & Masha MacPherson
PARIS (AP) --The woman leading a push for a reckoning about sexual abuse in France's world-renowned cinema industry urged lawmakers Thursday to establish a commission to investigate sex crimes and sexism in the sector.
With French film-making in the spotlight ahead of the Oscars next month, Judith Godrèche gave emotional testimony to a French Senate commission Thursday recalling her own experiences as a young teenager breaking into the industry.
"Everyone knows that in the film industry, an abuser disguised as a director makes little girls suffer so they cry … He then arranges to meet them in an attic room and takes possession of them for real," Godrèche said in her opening remarks.
Visibly shaken, she said she didn't know she had the right to say "no."
Godrèche, who also lived many years in Hollywood, urged an independent inquiry into misconduct in the French industry, the appointment of independent guardians for underage actors on film sets and other proposals to address past abuses and prevent new ones.
She gave a dramatic speech at France's version of the Oscars last week, calling on those present to "face the truth" about the issue, years after the MeToo movement shook up Hollywood but faced resistance in France.
"I am speaking as loud as I can and trying to push the door as open as possible, and yet nothing is really happening because of the way the system is being built for years and years,'' she said in response to questions from The Associated Press on Thursday.
"I think there is something about French society that is somehow still anchored in" the Middle Ages, she said.
Godrèche, 51, has accused two French directors of raping or sexually abusing her when she was 14 and 15 and they were decades older. The men deny wrongdoing. She formally filed a complaint earlier this month, and her actions have prompted other women in the industry to speak out about abuse.
She has also accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault when she was 24. By the time she spoke out, the alleged violence had occurred too long ago to prosecute, according to French news reports.
Godrèche said she felt supported in the U.S. when she spoke about Weinstein but less so in France, where she said directors are still held as sacred and hold tremendous power.
"I am hoping that things will change. Will they change? I only believe in action, not in applause," she said.
Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.
Canada orders TikTok’s Canadian business to be dissolved but won’t block app
Canada announced Wednesday it won't block access to the popular video-sharing app TikTok but is ordering the dissolution of its Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind it.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said it is meant to address risks related to ByteDance Ltd.'s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
"The government is not blocking Canadians' access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice," Champagne said.
Champagne said it is important for Canadians to adopt good cybersecurity practices, including protecting their personal information.
He said the dissolution order was made in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada's national security. He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of local jobs.
"We will challenge this order in court," the spokesperson said. "The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive."
TikTok is wildly popular with young people, but its Chinese ownership has raised fears that Beijing could use it to collect data on Western users or push pro-China narratives and misinformation. TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore in 2020.
TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny... Read More