Cannes Film Festival 2023: “It’s good that it’s also a place of debate, friction and controversy”, says the Minister of Culture

Wednesday, May 24, Rima Abdul MalakMinister of Culture, was the guest of “4 Truths” on France 2. Returning to the controversies surrounding the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, she estimated: “It is good that it is also a place of debates, frictions, exchanges, positions and controversies.” Controversies in particular aroused by the presence of Johnny Depp in the opening ceremony, while the actor was accused of domestic violence. Rima Abdul Malak said about it: “Of course it’s disturbing, but it’s not for me, Minister of Culture, to choose what is going to be the opening movie.“

“As a matter of principle, I always believe women”

Asked about the multiple accusations of sexual violence against Gérard Depardieu, Rima Abdul Malak has indicated : “As a matter of principle, I always believe women. But afterwards, I don’t have to take the place of justice.” While Lawrence Wauquiezpresident of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, is particularly criticized for having withdrawn a subsidy from a theater director in Lyon (Rhône) who had criticized him, the minister denounced a “brutality in the method, i.e. a unilateral decision to withdraw a grant without discussing it with the partners, and on criteria that are not clear”. “The words of a director should not be taken into account in the allocation of grants”she added. Rima Abdul Malak finally indicated that he was not in favor of a merger between France Télévisions and Radio France.