Here are the women’s voices I promised. Please send me more:
This is director Sue Kramer’s comment that appeared on a NY Times article from Oct 1. It is reprinted here with her permission
I am a Hollywood screenwriter and director and must confess I am appalled at this “out pouring” of support for Roman Polanski by my Hollywood colleagues. He committed a crime, pleaded guilty and was found guilty. Instead of taking responsibility for this crime, he fled the country and has since been served up a lavish life in France, making movies abroad. Rape is rape people! This girl was 13 years old, drugged and molested. Mr. Polanski is an incredibly gifted artist–that does not mean he is not a criminal. We must separate art from life. The fact that France has protected Mr. Polanski thus far is a crime in itself. This being said, not all of us in the Hollywood community have signed this outrageous petition for his release nor do we diminish what he did and is accountable for. Many of us believe there is a large price to pay when you commit a crime and celebrity nor talent warrants freedom.
Sue Kramer
Free the Pedophile
I read Josh Olson’s rant in the LA Times yesterday. He brought up the point that the truly great Hollywood director’s names (like Michael Bay), were not on the petition and frankly that has been what’s bothering me. Why is every legendary auteur in the world on that list, but not a crapmeister like Michael Bay? Does Michael Bay have better judgment or higher morals? Then I realized the e-mail came indirectly from Thierry Fremaux, the Artistic Director of the Cannes Film Festival. Who else has Martin Scorsese, Wong Kar Wai, Michael Mann, Wim Wenders, Wes Anderson and Darren Aronofsky’s e-mail address? Michael Bay isn’t on the Cannes distribution list and neither is the guy who directed “Porkys”. Now you know this e-mail went out to a bunch of famous women directors as well, but they thought twice about signing the “Free the Pedophile Petition”. But the men, being the idiots that they sometimes are, signed the damn thing. So every director an actor ever dreamed of working with is on that list and no filmmaker can say anything, because who can afford to piss off the Cannes Film Festival. Hence the silence.
Add into the mix, an industry with a long history of discrimination against women, a “spread your legs to get ahead” career path that has yet to change and an American public fed up with the soul destroying garbage coming out of Hollywood…and it’s a powder keg.
I assume the publicists have clamped down on their clients “Don’t say anything to anyone”, but it’s going to be a long drawn out legal battle and Polanski’s going to jail. As a filmmaker, the last thing we need is all of America boycotting independent films for the indefinite future and going to see “Transformers 3” instead, because Michael Bay isn’t on the list. Can someone with clout just call Thierry Fremaux up and tell him “No offense, but the “Free the Pedophile Petition” was a really bad idea”. And for your penance…say five Hail Marys and hire some women.
Signed Anonymous.
Anonymous is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter based in New York. She has directed narrative shorts and documentary films.
Now, THAT deserves a standing ovation!
Thanks for putting these articles on your site, Melissa.