In a column published on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, the world of the 7th art was alarmed to see the far-right billionaire extending his influence over film production. The speech of the chairman of the board of Canal + demonstrates for the Iranian director “a closure rather than an open-mindedness”.
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/2026/05/18/6a0aa61505742511672095.jpg "\"This confirms the fears we had\" : director Sepideh Farsi reacts to Canal +’s threat to no longer work with the signatories of a forum against Vincent Bolloré")
“I find that this confirms the fears we had”reacts Monday May 18 on France Inter the Iranian director Sepideh Farsi, while Canal + no longer wants to work with the signatories of a forum against Vincent Bolloré. “I experienced this petition as an injustice towards the Canal teams who are committed to defending the independence of Canal+, in all the diversity of its choices”declared Sunday Maxime Saada, chairman of the board of directors of Canal+, the leading financier of French cinema of which Vincent Bolloré is the main shareholder.
The column was signed last Tuesday by 600 professionals in the sector, including Sepideh Farsi, Juliette Binoche, Swann Arlaud and Adèle Haenel. The forum denounces “the growing influence of the extreme right” in cinema through the conservative billionaire.
“It’s to scare, it’s to set an example, so that others don’t sign.”
Sepideh Farsi, makerà France Inter
“We’ll see how the collective will react. I think there will certainly be a reaction”, prédit la réalisatrice.
“I was very surprised when reading Mr. Saada’s statements. This statement shows a closed-mindedness rather than an open-mindedness”responds Monday Sepideh Farsi, who notably directed last year the documentary Put your soul on your hand and walk about a young Palestinian photographer killed in Gaza. “I would have liked to receive an invitation from Canal to tell us ‘Make a delegation, come see us, let’s talk to see what scares you'”she says.
“Instead of that, saying straight away, we are no longer going to work with the people who are signatories to this forum, I find that this confirms the fears we had”believes the director. “The Canal+ group was created to breathe new life into French cinema. Certainly, it is a private group, but it is still to strengthen what we call the French cultural exception”, argue la réalisatrice. “Finally, I find that they are losing a lot of wealth, since these are still extraordinary people who signed this platform, a bit like what happened at Grasset by dismissing Olivier Nora”.
