Should the presence of children’s coaches become obligatory on film sets?

Although the filming of children under 16 is governed by certain rules, the production is currently not legally required to hire a referent alongside minor actors.

For them, the Godrèche explosion must be a turning point : the coaches who accompany child actors on set hope that the actress’s warning cry will “move the lines” and highlight the difficulties of their profession.

On paper, the task of these professionals consists first of all in helping young actors to assimilate their role and the directors’ directives. A specification a priori distant from Judith Godrèche’s call to counter the influence of directors, she who claims to have been sexually assaulted by filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon when she was a minor.

But in fact, “we also play a role in protecting children” faced with a world of filming which “intimidates”, explains to AFP Delphine Labey, who worked on the series A French village. “We are here to keep the children safe”completes her sister Amour Rawyler, helping them in particular to distance themselves from their character.

On the set of To the hilt (2017), a César-winning shock film about domestic violence, this pioneer of children’s coaches assisted the young actor Thomas Gioria, confronted with the ultraviolent father played by Denis Ménochet. “We have never laughed as much as on this shoot”, she says. However, the presence of these coaches is not obligatory.

Shake up the system

Employment on a shoot under 16 years must certainly obey a series of constraints (limitation of working time, medical examination, arrangement of school time, etc.) and be approved by a commission supervised by the prefectural authority, which examines the scenario. But once this green light is obtained, the production is not legally required to hire a referent alongside minor actors.

At the end of February, facing senators, Judith Godrèche called for shaking up the system by “imposing” the presence of a referent “shape” and independent of production so that“a child is never left alone on set”.

The overall situation of minors in the cinema industry must soon be the subject of a commission of inquiry in the Assembly. “It seems absurd that there is a child on set and no one to supervise him” notes coach Claire Chauchat. “It’s not something you would do in life and even less so in a job”.

In Hollywood, Californian law requires studios to be present on set with a parent and/or a “studio teacher” trained to ensure the well-being of the minor.

“The lines are moving”

However, it would be hasty to conclude that French cinema would be “a jungle that devours children”, estimates Marine Longuet of the 50/50 collective, in favor of the presence of a minor referent. In France, parents can be present on sets and production companies are less hesitant to use coaches or facilitators responsible for the comfort of children.“The lines are moving compared to the era described by Judith Godrèche thirty years ago years”believes Delphine Labey.

But the vagueness remains. Not regulated, the profession of children’s coach does not appear in the collective agreement for the cinema profession. “The real problem is the solitude in which we exercise our profession”describes coach Violette Gitton, deploring the lack of specific training. “The missions entrusted to us are highly delicate (…), yet we often only have our subjectivity to position ourselves.”

Without even talking about sexual or physical violence, filming can be a powerful echo chamber of tension. “Not being protected by any institution, the coach may have difficulty finding legitimacy and imposing firmness during conflicts”, believes Violette Gitton. At each moment of filming, however, the child must be able to make his or her voice heard, believe the coaches interviewed by AFP. “We have to put things right so that the minor remains aware of what is happening, indicates Delphine Labey. And can say no if he thinks it’s going too far.”