France’s government has waded into a row that has sent shockwaves through the domestic cinema industry after the head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, said the group would no longer work with signatories of a petition against billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré.
Culture Minister Catherine Pegard described the comments by Canal+ chief executive Maxime Saada, made during the Cannes Film Festival, as “disproportionate” and said she understood the concerns of signatories.
The petition, initially signed by 600 industry professionals, urged a mobilisation against “the growing grip of the far-right” on the film industry under the influence of Bolloré and the Canal+ group.
Signatories included French star Juliette Binoche as well as director Arthur Harari, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall in 2023, as well as that film’s prominent French star Swann Arlaud.
“This company’s major role in cinema gives it a voice that matters,” Pegard told parliament, referring to Canal+.
