In 1977, Roman Polanski was convicted of unlawful sex with a minor and fled the US rather than face jail time. THANK YOU FOR STANDING UP TO THEM. Roman was charged with sex with minor, not real rape. Roman Polanski is a French citizen, a renown and international artist now facing extradition. It will be much wiser, less obstinate and more generous to leave this exceptional man alone. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, 'I signed this. While researching this article I had a couple of off-the-record discussions with actors and film-makers about their true feelings about Polanski. Given. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. - lARP I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. The student's petition, entitled: "Drop the petition for Roman Polanski's release", was launched last week, and has over 400 signatures. David Lynch 3. Actually Polanski never admitted to raping anyone. The petition was also signed by various other luminaries of the global film industry, including filmmaker Sam Mendes, actor Jeremy Irons, and actress Isabelle Adjani. He presented to them the new Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the embassy, Ms Judith Baroody. I mean, Ted Bundy oh. This is how Gailey recalled the crime: He placed his penis in my vagina. How is this even up for debate? The whole world will be so much safer if Polanski ends his days behind bars. He admitted to unlawfully having sex as part of a plea bargain the judge tried to renege on. Polanski is a child molester. Rosalinde et Michel Deville Ettore Scola Alexandre Desplat He & his friends will be able to afford the best lawyers. Would the signatories of this list have us serve up children for them to rape and defile at their pleasure because, well, W. is a really bad man? Woody Allen, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Martin Scorcese, David Lynch, Wong Kar Wai, Harmony Korine, Stephen Frears, Alexander Payne, Michael Mann, Wim Wenders, Tilda Swinton, Julian Schnabel, and Pedro Almodovar are among the 100 and counting film industry figures who have signed the petition, coordinated from France by the SACD, an organization which represents performance and visual artists. Terry Gilliam Filmmakers, actors, producers and technicians everyone involved in international filmmaking want him to know that he has their support and friendship. Why should he be treated any differently from other members of the clergy? Those people dont want justice or protection of children. Luc et Jean-Pierre Dardenne and seeing people in the comments try to defend him as well by saying the girl was mature for her age? They trotted out the familiar defences: the Holocaust and Sharon Tate, of course. When he then learned she was only 15, he continued to sleep with her for several months, he wrote. Everyone signing this list should be ashamed of themselves. From what is known about the criminal proceedings, it seems the judge was basking in the limelight and behaved outragously thus the entire case should be tossed. Polanski showed not even the slightest sign of regret, but stated in an interview that everybody wants to sleep with young girls or whatever. And I was like, sure. A 13-year-old cannot give consent to have sex with an adult male. As a result, her attorney arranged the plea bargain, in which five of the charges were dropped and Polanski pleaded guilty to statutory rape, which was the least serious charge against him. I understand that Hitler was a good painterMaybe we shouldnt have closed in on and bombed his bunker because good painters are a treasure.. Vangelis, By trying to send Roman Polanski to the lions despite all the legal arguments, is something that unfortunately gets and will get more and more out of proportion. If he's lucky.". She said regardless of the fact she knows him and the terrible things he has been through, a crime is a crime," Hayward-Tapp told the Independent in 2009. He is not a good man. A shameful chapter indeed - let us hope it will soon be brought to a close. Petition for Roman Polanski. If he was some crack head living in harlem and raped a girl would the same supporters come to the rescue? I could enjoy Sean Connerys work, even though he apparently doesnt have a problem with slapping a woman. He raped a child! If Polanski had faced his sentence 30 years ago, wed have forgotten HIM and the victim wouldnt have to relive it now. "I wore one to DGA," he told Metro. Living with regret. By trying to send Roman Polanski to the lions despite all the legal arguments, is something that unfortunately gets and will get more and more out of proportion. She is a child. Ask any rape victim and we will tell you that we would give anything if the rapist had been prosecuted and locked up forever before we were victimized by them! Weinstein is now firmly banished and actors are apologising for appearing in Woody Allen movies. I mean, he IS a priest in the Catholic church is he not? Every story has more than one side. And yet Polanskis name is mentioned only sporadically, even though he is the only one with an actual conviction. Artists are not above the law in any country.. but this summer,when right when i turned 14 i gave in and had sex with a 27 year old man. Polanski drugged a 13 year old girl and forced his penis in her anus - is that too ugly? Jean-Michel Carre Wow! Jean-Loup Hubert Im so glad Roman has so many supporters that he can rape and sodomize, but are any of you 13 because thats target age we need. Roger Kahane, Forty years ago this week, Roman Polanski went from being one of the most celebrated film-makers in the world to becoming the United States most notorious fugitive from justice. And yet, for the past 40 years, many of them have been falling over themselves to work with a self-confessed child rapist, even defending him by pointing to his artistic credentials. Are you celebrity/entertainment people think youre above the law? In 1986, he met the woman who would be his next wife, the actress Emanuelle Seigner. But if I ever see him, I will spit in his face. A host of directors and actors followed Weinstein, signing the petition for Polanski, including Natalie Portman, Tilda Swinton and Emma Thompson. Sure, admire his work. "And it's really unfortunate, and was a surprise to me for sure. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Kent Jones Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Only one persons behaviour is at issue here, Roman Polanski and he deserves to be in prison because he drugged, then raped, then sodomized a 13 year old girl despite her pleas for him to stop. So, I helped Polanski rape someone because Ive watched Chinatown about a dozen times. The rest say they are too busy. I have also read the facts spred online. In 1976, he met Nastassja Kinski and, according to his autobiography, slept with her. Sari, to quote you: If Polanski had killed the girl instead of raping her, the whole matter would have been forgotten long ago, In what world would murder be forgotten? As much as I've been repulsed by Polanski's 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl, I've been absolutely flabbergasted and offended by the list of Hollywood elites and celebrities who have recently signed a petition demanding his release. i do realize that no ones is going to take me seriously,but here it goes anyways. He never was. Tilda Swinton would like to graciously pass on being interviewed. Abderrahmane Sissako And yet only a decade and a half earlier, Streep had stood and applauded when Polanski won best director at the 2003 Oscars, not so much tacitly approving rape as explicitly celebrating a convicted child rapist. Paul Boujenah We'll give you the hints and tips you need (and also the answers). Polanskis own attitude has remained bullish; in October last year he gave an interview in which he focused his ire on the judges who let him down. Debra Winger described Polanskis arrest in Switzerland in 2009 as a philistine collusion. 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023. In perfect French she lauded the Franco-American friendship and recommended the development of cultural relations between our two countries. Well, eight years is a long time in sexual mores. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Defending Polanski in the face of his full admission of drugging and raping a 13 year-old, fleeing charges because he thought he was too important to face the consequences of his actions, boasting to Martin Amis that EVERYONE wants to F*** little girls! and complaining how HE is the victim (in true sociopathic form) by not being able to work in Hollywood for 30 years, while never ONCE saying that what he did was unfathomably wrong, has nothing of importance to say about humanity. Wong Kar Wa Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Liria Begeja Thanks to #MeToo and the Time's Up campaign, we are now living in a dramatically different climate when it comes to discussing sexual harassment and assault. Those of you who think this is the same as rape should watch Oleanna. Argento spoke publicly about her support for Polanski in a Twitter post in 2017, writing: "I already regretted signing the petition years ago, already felt it was a mistake. And I still have a good lot of movies to see. Emma Thompson has long been an ardent supporter of women's rights, and the British Oscar-winner recently signed a letter in support of the Times Up campaign ahead of this year's BAFTAS. i can only wish you all the worst, and i hope you come to feel deeply ashamed. She is not an adult. Etienne Faure He drugged a child. Alexandre Arcady The girl said no many times. I am deeply saddened to see so many of my cinematic heroes supporting Polanski. Last year, four more allegations emerged: former US actor Mallory Millett said Polanski tried to rape her in 1970; German actor Renate Langer said the director raped her in Gstaad in 1972 when she was 15; a woman identified as Robin M said Polanski assaulted her in 1973 when she was 15; and a third, Marianne Barnard, accused him of assaulting her in 1975 when she was 10. As for those listed above, their association with this ill-conceived effort will always taint my opinion of them and while I dont necessarily agree that viewing CHINATOWN condones pedophilia there is a certain stink that hangs over anything associated with Roman Polanski and to a degree that stink will rub off on the signatures above. He fled the conviction. K, Uhlman, please dont get all circus of blood here. There, he gave her champagne and, according to her, quaaludes. Rittenband was thought to be considering sentencing him to 50 years in prison, which was when Polanski fled. Feminist here! Probably not but I will feel good about myself. I am sure his methods may have changed but sex offenders rarely offend just once. Much emphasis is made in the movie about how Polanskis celebrity hurt him during the trial, which is true. His plea bargain didnt fall apart. Stephen Frears The filmmaker had been detained over a 1977 underage sex case from the U.S., which he plead guilty to. The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from 'Unsolved Mysteries' to 'McMillions' to 'The Staircase' Personally, I can live with a Hugh Grant who got a blow-job from a prostitute. Watch what happened next. Stephane Allagnon Natalie Portman. He must be brought to justice. $17.99 + $4.99 shipping. I very much regret it, Portman said. this is all very upsetting to hear. What purpose does it serve to lock up Mr. Polanski when the prison space could be used to protect the public from violent offenders? only to seduce a 15-year old nastassia kinski two years later- when he was 46. had he handled this differently, the victim would have been able to put this trauma behind her when she was still a teenager. Djamel Bennecib So many people seem to be against Mr. Polanski. i feel ashamed sometimes,like a complete whore.but it was of my consent.so i sucked it up,and i never told anyone.if someone were to find out,there is no doubt id say its rape. That type of self-righteousness is sickening and even more dangerous than what Polanski did because it affects society as a whole, whether the issue is rape or anything else. In September 2009, Roman Polanski was arrested by Swiss police on a warrant for his 1977 sexual-abuse case. In 2018, Portman apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. the victims opinion, in case of Stockholm syndrome or whatever. - la SACD Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. The man has no remorse for what he did as evidenced by interviews he has given. I dont know what the rationals might be for those who seek his pardoning, be it moral ambiguity, sycophancy, going along with what they see as hip or simply the belief that the group they belong to is somehow superior and has a right to use common people for their own amusement, but it would be a mistake to give the law a pass to accommodate this utterly reprehensible man. The victim wants the case dropped, but oh no. High recidivism cant be an excuse to keep these people locked up, all victims will come forward if it happens again, and we dont need to pay any heed Kinskis real birth certificate. She has also remained silent on the #MeToo and Times Up campaigns. But one can have enormous sympathy for those losses, and also feel that offering up dead women as mitigating factors for raping a girl doesnt really wash. It feels GOOD. According to her grand jury testimony, she repeatedly asked him to take her home and she was afraid of him. so roman polanski is sayong it was consensual,and i have no reason to disbeleive him.no one was there,to know the exact facts. Broadly reached out to Anderson to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. This extradition, if it takes place, will be heavy in consequences and will take away his freedom. Yes, Emma Thompson, who last week appeared on. He never admited to raping anyone. Mario Martone I cant wait to get out of this f**ed up town. I will spread this list to every friend I have, and post it on Facebook and many other social sites. Raphael Rebibo Its 40 years this week since the director and convicted sex offender went on the run. The judge in Polanskis case acted like a common crook. If Polanski had attended his sentencing hearing instead of fleeing the country, the whole thing would have been over after hed served his time. Jerry Schatzberg NASA smacked an asteroid with a spacecraft. Who among the Moral Police gives a shit? If you continue browsing, that means you've accepted our Terms of Use/use of cookies. Whether its 5 years or 20 years is irrelevant. She was not unresponsive, he writes. The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects. Move over, "Armageddon." Polanski is a child rapist probably a serial child rapist. Patty Jenkins Told Chris Pine to Try Directing: 'You Gotta Do Something Besides Wait in Your Trailer' Diane Kurys Stuck on 'Quordle' #403? I hope the tide is finally turning.. Do you understand the court will make no decision regarding probation and sentencing until the judge reads all of the reports, Do you understand at the time of your sentencing, the prosecutor may argue that you should go to state prison or be incarcerated in the county jail?, (to Polanskis attorney) Have you explained to your client all of the possible outcomes? He should have been prosecuted as well, even if no teenagers were involved in his misdeeds. if i was in her position, i would say anything as well. Alfonso Cuaron It is also irrelevant if her mother was trying to vicariously enjoy a brush with stardom. By now, celebrities were falling over themselves to defend Polanski. Claude Lelouch Charlotte Silvera Accept Read More. Zenovichs movie focuses on how Polanski had the misfortune to come up in front of Judge Lawrence Rittenband, who was obsessed with self-publicity and determined to make an example of Polanski. The fact that filmmakers may present their work and travel freely and safely at and to film events, as every person may do at and to other unrestricted public properties, does not make them diplomats. That is automatically rape as a child cannot give informed consent. Sickening. But she is too busy preparing for Sundance to engage. Peter Henry Fonda was born in New York City, to legendary screen star Henry Fonda and Ontario, Canada-born New York socialite Frances Brokaw (born Frances Ford Seymour). Olivier Assayas See you at your inbox! Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Patty Jenkins Told Chris Pine to Try Directing: 'You Gotta Do Something Besides Wait in Your Trailer', The Best True Crime Streaming Now, from 'Unsolved Mysteries' to 'McMillions' to 'The Staircase', 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023. Franois Margolin Cant think of a bigger threat to our planet just now. Polanski was originally indicted for 4 felonies, and the girl agreed to have him plea guilty to statutory rape in order to avoid the circus of the trial. I sympathize with Ms. Gaileys feelings, however, this man should not be free to victimize other children. Polanski petition signatories, as of September 29th: Fatih Akin Insanity. Roman Polanski has been a fugitive from justice for 30 years and it is time he manned up and dealt with the situation. fashion. Absolutely despicable by each and every one of these people who signed this petition. from Mashable that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content. Christian Gion - The crew of Polanskis latest film, Ghost His movies went on to win six Oscars. Please somebody start a petition against Roman Polanski and the rest of his kin. "It should just be that everyone can empathize with everyone. Luc Barnier Woody Allen, David Lynch and Martin Scorsese today added their names to a petition demanding the immediate release of Roman Polanski from detention in Zurich. Can any of you remember what you were like at 13? Finally, to those of you suggesting that Polanski got unfair treatment: I suggest you follow up on watching documentaries with some actual research on the justice system in Los Angeles County. In 2018, Argento apologised and expressed regret for signing the petition. Jan Kounen I dont know if you are really helping his case, Woody. Claude Miller "I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. The infamous Polanski petition was also signed by beloved auteurs like Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Wong Kar-wai and Darren Aronofsky among others who asked for the release of Polanski when he was arrested in Switzerland in 2009. Andre Buytaers The arrest of Roman Polanski in a neutral country, where he assumed he could travel without hindrance, undermines this tradition: it opens the way for actions of which no one can know the effects. I will never again be able to speak to, or look at, Mike Nichols, Jonathan Demme, Martin Scorsese or any of the other names I recognize here without wanting to scream obscenities at them. Argue all you want, I dont know ANY 13 year old girls who can hold there Quaaludes & champagne AND still say yes to having sex with a sick, dirty old man. Alongside Asia Argento and Emma Thompson, Natalie Portman remains one of the few celebrities to apologize for signing the petition. He raped a child. Related Tilda Swinton I dont wish to admire anyone who has such a twisted sense of values. The petition demanding "the immediate release" of Polanski attracted more than 100 signatures, including Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Tilda Swinton and Wong Kar Wai. Festival organisers rejected German actress Claudia Eisinger's call to lay out a black carpet in solidarity with sexual violence survivors, despite over 23,000 people signing her petition. The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox. Strip polanski of his resume and he is a man. I was looking for the petition to sign, but heres my comment: LEAVE THE POOR GUY ALONE. Shall we all rape, murder, steal, defraud etc. Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for March 3. It is sad that these people think Polanski is above the law!! Silvio Berlusconi Corruption: Sex, Lies & Earthquake + Tavernier Boos & Leigh Career Highlight. She played Lena, while her co-star Jennifer Jason Leigh played Dr. Ventress, described as being of Asian and Native American background respectively in the novel. She has had to hear about this, talk about this, show up for the DA, etc, and frankly, after 30 years and your entire adult life having to talk about how you were raped when you were a teenager, I would want the whole thing dropped as well. More important than the DA, his flight from the US or his abominable behavior is the FACT that the young lady in question would like this to finished forever. Im deeply disappointed in the people that signed this shameful petition. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. 8 8 Most Beautiful French Actresses . What is the big deal about the Reverend Polanski? Thanks to the candour of Polanski, the rest of us have always known, too including everyone in the film industry who has worked with him since. His comments on the subject indicate no remorse and in fact seem to indicate a perverse (of course) pride in his engaging in satisfying his twisted appetites. Giuseppe Bertolucci SHAME on you Wes Anderson! On 1 February 1978, after 42 days in jail, Polanski fled the US while awaiting final sentencing, having pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Gailey sensed something different. furthermore, the reason the victim wants the charges to be dropped is because this case has been haunting her since she was 13- she is in her 40s now and she wants to get on with her life. children. He plead guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful sex with a minor because he knew they had enough evidence to fry his ass if it went to trial. What does his continued success reveal about the film worlds true attitude towards sexual assault? I know what I am, what I have and havent done, how things really were and are, he writes at the end of his autobiography. This will not be a problem to keep up I will soon be very familiar with the names on the list, Ill just cross-check any movie I think about renting or seeing in the theater. Harvey. Giuseppe Tornatore Thanks for signing up. 13. im ashamed and sickened. He describes grooming Gailey on the drive to the photoshoot: I asked when shed first started having sex, he writes, as if thats a normal thing for a 43-year-old man to ask a 13-year-old girl. Everytime you pop in Rosemarys baby or Chinatown think about how YOU helped commit the rape of a 13 year old girl. Sigourney Weaver, Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kate Winslet and many more have appeared in Polanski movies in the decades since his conviction, and questions about why they were working with a convicted child rapist were seen as tacky, proof of a rigid mind more focused on gossip than art. One of the petition's signatories was Natalie Portman, who told BuzzFeed(Opens in a new tab) she "very much" regrets putting her name on it. US-French relations have nothing to do with Polanski drugging and raping a child. His plea bargain didnt fall apart. When Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in 2009, where he was jailed for two months and then put under house arrest (the house, in this case, being a chalet in the Alps), Debra Winger claimed the whole art world suffers. Alain Jessua Pascal Thomas Drugging a girl, disregarding her repeated No, her faking an asthma attack to get him to stop is not real rape? It was not just statutory rape, it was rape-rape because she said no! Making good films does not exempt you from the law. Jean-Jacques Annaud Woody Allen supports him-big shocker (the guy who is now married to the woman who was essentially his stepdaughter). Laws - rape (statutory or otherwise) and escape from justice - have been broken. Michael Mann Producer | The Insider Hiding under the same moldy rock they hid under during the OJ trial? Michele Placido But Zenovich does not mention how it also helped him. Nelly Kaplan Not real rape? You people that support this kind of act should be ashamed of yourselves. Or else every case involving Stockholm Syndrome would never be tried. Broadly reached out to Almodovar to ask if he regrets supporting Polanski, but he declined to reply by the time of publication. Jetter Roman Polanski aux lions malgr les arguments legaux, cela prendra des proportions de plus en plus exagers. Amongst them were a swathe of high-profile names, including Woody Allen, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, Darren Aronofsky, Monica Bellucci, Asia Argento and Wes Anderson. thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html. The facts have never altered. Should this even be up for discussion? When the Harvey Weinstein story broke last October, the reaction among the movie industry was wide-eyed shock that someone so many of them knew and worked with could be a rapist. He should be in jail. Afp is reporting that a grand assembly of filmmakers, actors and producers from around the world have signed a petition urging the release of director Roman Polanski, who was arrested Sunday in Switzerland on a warrant for a 1977 underage sex case in the United States. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. My level of disgust for these petitions cannot even be fully expressed. This kind of hypocrisy about Polanski makes you wonder how serious the industry really is about dealing with this problem, as it claims to be. im not sure if i should say i expected better from a lot of these people. We reached out to some of the most high-profile signatories to a 2009 petition in support of Roman Polanski, to ask them whether they regretted their endorsement of the convicted abuser. But apparently, you artists arent supposed to be subjected to the rules and expectations we mere mortals face. Go ahead delete my anti hollywood post I feel better for posting it even if I already knew only equivocators and apologist for polanski need post, the uber leftist oh so talented equivocators make me want to hurl. Xavier Beauvois The . Actor Scott Caan, the son of the late actor James Caan, has filed a petition to manage his father's estate in new court documents obtained by The Blast. At the end of the day Polanski fled not because of a legal transgression on the part of the California justice system but because he thinks hes above the law and does not have to answer to a code of ethics that conflicts with his selfish and perverse tastes. when i was 13 started having desires for older men,anywhere up to their 40s.it became my prefrence since then.i never actually had sex with someone above that age,it was just sort of a forbidden fantasy to me.im was 13,not 5,so i knew better then to act on it,as much as some adults say teenagers dont know better yeah,they do. Do you have kids??? "The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. I dont tacitly approve of rape, said Meryl Streep. FREE ROMAN POLANSKI! Its called statutory RAPE for a reason. The progressive congresswoman was against the project, which was originally planned for Queens, New York.