Starting this summer, the presence of a “child welfare officer” will be mandatory on every set using minors, and is a condition for receiving public funding, announced Minister of Culture Rachida Dati on Saturday, May 18. This measure was demanded by actress Judith Godrèche, who has become an advocate against sexual violence towards children and a prominent figure in the #metoo movement in France after accusing filmmakers Jacques Doillon and Benoît Jacquot of rape dating back to her adolescence. The CNC grants were already conditioned on film industry professionals participating in training on the subject, a requirement now extended to the entire film crew.
In February, during a hearing at the Senate, Godrèche asked for a “neutral referee to be imposed on sets with a minor, a referee who is not paid by the production and is trained,” to ensure that no child is ever left alone on a set with a more efficient control system. She also questioned who should be relied upon to ensure that no child will be a victim of sexual or emotional violence on set or during casting. Two weeks later, during a hearing before the National Assembly’s delegation for children’s rights, Godrèche concluded her opening statement by calling for an inquiry into labor practices in the film industry, particularly regarding risks for women and children.
The presence of a “child welfare officer” will be a requirement to access funding from the CNC, as announced by Minister of Culture Rachida Dati at the Cannes Film Festival. This measure was in response to demands from actress Judith Godrèche, who has been a vocal advocate against sexual violence towards children and a prominent figure in the #metoo movement in France. Godrèche had previously accused filmmakers Jacques Doillon and Benoît Jacquot of rape during her adolescence, leading to a call for better protections for minors on film sets.
Godrèche called for a neutral referee to be present on sets with minors and emphasized the importance of ensuring that no child is left alone on a film set. She urged for a more efficient control system to prevent any form of violence towards children during filming and casting. Her calls for increased protection for children on film sets were made during hearings at the Senate and the National Assembly, where she also asked for an inquiry into labor practices in the film industry to address risks faced by women and children.
The presence of a “child welfare officer” on film sets with minors will be mandatory starting this summer, Minister of Culture Rachida Dati announced. This requirement, aimed at preventing sexual and emotional violence towards children, is a condition for accessing funding from the CNC. The measure was demanded by actress Judith Godrèche, who has been a prominent advocate against such violence and has called for increased protections for children on film sets, following her own experiences with abuse in the industry. She has also called for an inquiry into labor practices in the film industry to address risks faced by women and children.
In response to demands from actress Judith Godrèche, Minister of Culture Rachida Dati announced that a “child welfare officer” will be required on every film set with minors, as a condition for receiving funding from the CNC. Godrèche had highlighted the need for better protections for children on film sets and called for a neutral referee to be present to prevent any form of violence towards minors. Her advocacy for increased safeguards for children on film sets has been fueled by her own experiences with abuse in the industry and she has also called for an inquiry into labor practices to address risks for women and children in the film industry.
