French star Emmanuelle Béart speaks out against incest, sexual abuse
MANILA, Philippines — in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children, French actress Emmanuelle Béart spoke up against incest and sexual abuse, the subject of the documentary she co-directed with Anastasia Mikova, which premiered at the 26th French Film Festival at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) cinema on Saturday.
The Mission: Impossible (1996) star was “honored and happy” to be in Manila for the first time to attend the film event and in support of her documentary titled Un Silence Si Bruyant (Such A Resounding Silence), which tells the stories of four incest victims and her own contribution.
The advocacy of protecting women and girls is “very personal and important” to her because, as revealed in the documentary, she survived incest as a child. In the documentary, she did not name the identity of the abuser but said she was a victim between the age of 10 and 14 and was “saved” by her grandmother.
The award-winning French actress who previously starred in Manon des Sources (1986), La Belle Noiseuse (1991), Nelly and Mr. Arnaud (1995), and 8 Women (2002) has been working with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for 10 years in fighting for the rights of women and children.
“The thing is I have lived all my life since I began this movie, this documentary, with a kind of sorrow (that is) something really heavy. And I wouldn’t talk to anyone about this. I was ashamed. Then I became a mother. Then I’ve chosen this wonderful profession of language,” she disclosed in a roundtable discussion at Cinema 5, SM MOA after the documentary screening.
The panel discussion was also attended by French Ambassador to the Philippines and Micronesia, Her Excellency Marie Fontanel, senator and chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality Rissa Hontiveros, CAMELEON Association founder Laurence Ligier, CAMELEON psychologist Hannah Murrilo, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assistant secretary for International Affairs, Attached and Supervised Agencies lawyer Elaine Fallarcuna, with TV personality David Celdran as moderator.
“And at one point of my life, I thought it would be wonderful to take this heavy sorrow and to make something with it,” continued Béart. “And maybe because I’m an actress and maybe because I’m well-known in France, and people think (that), ‘Oh my god, she’s probably very happy and she had a wonderful childhood.’
“I thought, ‘OK, if people see that it happened to me and if I dare to talk about it publicly, maybe it will provoke something and people will be able to dare to talk, too. And that’s what happened in France. It was really like a big wave. And people in the street come to me and say, you know, because of what you did, because of the movie you’ve made… (it made an impact).”
Despite the topic being a “taboo everywhere,” one should not be afraid to talk about it, asserted Béart.
“We shouldn’t be afraid to talk to our children to say I know it’s taboo, I know we have to talk about sexuality which is not comfortable with the child. But we have to talk to our children to say it could (happen) in the house. It could happen at your friend’s house. It could happen. That’s what I think.”
In conclusion, Béart offered nuggets of hope to those who are victims of incest and sexual abuse, saying, “I’m just talking for myself but I was a survivor and I’m alive. I’m very proud of that. I had to fight but finally I’m alive. So yes, there’s a lot of hope. But let’s keep talking about it and let’s do the prevention as we have to do.”
Meanwhile, Fontanel said that moviegoers can watch out for the films highlighting “cultural diversity” at the French Film Festival which will run until Dec. 3 at the SM MOA and SM Megamall cinemas. The event is organized by the Embassy of France to the Philippines, Alliance française de Manille, Institut Français, in cooperation with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), SM Supermalls, and L’Oreal.
The French film Acide (Acid Rain) was shown during the opening night of the film festival. Among the movies at this year’s edition of the French film festival are the comedy film Bernadette (The President’s Wife); historical drama La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (The Taste of Things), comedy Astérix et Obélix: L’Empire du Milieu (Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom); and the epic adaptation of a classic Les Trois Mousquetaires - D’Artagnan (The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan).
Also to be screened are Le Dernier Metro (The Last Metro); Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud (Nelly & Mr. Arnaud); Les Egares (Strayed); Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg); Les Choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait (The Things We Say, The Things We Do); Le Règne Animal (Animal Kingdom); Alibi.com 2; Goliath; Les Deux Alfred (The Two Alfreds); Manon Des Sources (Manon of the Sources); D’Argent de Sang (Of Money and Blood); and Daaaali!
The regular tickets are priced at P150 and P100 for students, seniors, and PWDs. For the schedule of film screenings and further information, visit the French Embassy’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FrenchEmbassyPH.
“By seeing the number of movies presented in the French film festival (from) comedy to drama to adventure, the scope is very, very large and this is one way of trying to reach out (to the Filipino audience),” remarked Fontanel during a presscon.
“You will see this week many iconic movies on the list and many iconic movies that embody the diversity of culture in France. And this is something that we are very proud of,” she said.
Fontanel added that the launching of the French filmfest is special because it also coincides with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children and the official launch of “Make it iconic. Choose France” campaign in the Philippines.
The “Make it iconic. Choose France” campaign promotes the French “love of action and craftsmanship, the willingness to defend an original vision, the art of not doing anything like others do.”
Fontanel also believes that “the young, vibrant population of the Philippines should be exposed to the diversity of cultures, and through cinema, the Filipino youth can have the chance to see a different perspective of life beyond the regular programming of theaters.”
“That was my priority to make the Embassy try and connect more with younger people,” she told The STAR.
French Embassy’s Cultural attache Martin Macalintal added that one way to attract the Filipino youth to see French movies and “find connection with French culture” is through the festival’s featured flicks about modern rap and hip-hop culture in France, such as the Indes Galantes (Gallant Indies) and Supremes (Authentik).
They will also stage a hip-hop showdown at SM Megamall on Dec. 2 with the participation of university dance groups and independent dance groups.
SM Supermalls president Steven Tan and French Embassy’s cultural counselor Marc Piton were also present at the opening ceremony.
“French films are commercially successful everywhere and that is why we partner with SM Cinema to be able to reach a wider audience in the country,” stated Piton.
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