While the controversy surrounding the anti-Bolloré article continues to stir up the Cannes Film Festival, a dissenting voice was heard on the Croisette on Wednesday, May 20. Interviewed by Brut, Mathieu Kassovitz defended Canal+, at a time when several hundred cinema professionals denounce the growing influence of Vincent Bolloré in the industry.
The director of “La Haine” and actor from “Le Bureau des Légendes” initially avoided the subject, stating that it would warrant “a good discussion”. But he mainly refused to condemn the encrypted channel at this stage.
“As a filmmaker for now, I think no filmmaker has been censored to finance their films by Canal Plus,” he declared to Brut. He added, “I think Canal Plus is doing a good job at the moment and we will have to yell when Canal Plus is not doing a good job. But for now, they are doing very well.”
For several days now, the cinema world has been divided over an article published in “Libération”, which criticizes “the growing influence of the far right” on French cinema through Vincent Bolloré, the main shareholder of the group.
The controversy intensified even more last weekend after statements from Maxime Saada, head of Canal+, where he stated that the channel could “no longer work” with the signatories of the text. These statements provoked a new wave of support for the article, now signed by more than 1,200 professionals in the industry.
In this climate, Mathieu Kassovitz’s stance appears as one of the first public positions in favor of Canal+. The filmmaker emphasizes the current situation of French cinema financing, where Canal+ remains a key player with over 170 million euros invested every year.
Meanwhile, on the Croisette, concerns about possible reprisals or a “blacklist” continue to fuel discussions among producers, directors, and actors.
