Before the Assembly, casting directors plead for the ban on nudity in the recruitment of film actors

The proposal is put forward by the Association of Artistic Distribution Managers (ARDA), which brings together a large part of the profession.

Casting directors proposed Thursday, May 30 before deputies that the law prohibit all nudity during tests to recruit film actors, in order to prevent sexual violence. This proposal is included in an ARDA working document which was given to MPs but not released publicly.

This ban, soon to be included in the profession’s charter of conduct, was mentioned during a hearing of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry into violence in cinema, audiovisual, performing arts and fashion. and advertising.

“No nudity or semi-nudity should be permitted, under any circumstances, at any stage of casting“, we read in this document, which takes up a proposal from the 50/50 Collective, which campaigns for equality and parity in cinema and audiovisual. As well as”no simulation of sexual act“must not be permitted, nor”no naked photos” communicated before, during or after a casting.

“Do you think it could be banned or written into law in one way or another?“, asked MP Erwan Balanant, president of the commission of inquiry. “Absolutely“, replied Julie David, an ARDA member. “It is even essential“, continued Julie Gandossi, another casting director.

According to ARDA, more than 120 casting directors are active in France, 87 of whom belong to this association created in 2001.

The same commission of inquiry heard on the same day five “intimacy coordinators”, a new cinema profession born in the United States to supervise scenes of a sexual nature. They pleaded to make more room for their profession. “Our profession does not exist in the collective agreement. When we are called, it is often by production, and we have the status of technical advisor to the direction“, said one of them, Najoua Ferréol.

While most were trained through organizations in English-speaking countries, Paloma Garcia Martens claimed “French-speaking French training” Or “a form of certification that takes into account acquired knowledge and skills“, as well as a “regulations pushing producers to engage them“.

The co-president of ARDA, Laurent Couraud, on the other hand, considered that the presence of intimacy coordinators was unnecessary during castings: “There are no intimate scenes to be done during a casting. For now, it’s not necessary“.