Anti-Bolloré column: the Minister of Culture, Catherine Pgard, regrets the response "disproportionate" from the boss of Canal+

The Minister of Culture Catherine Pégard confirmed on Tuesday 19th never regretting the answer “disproportionnée“from the boss of Canal+ who declared that he no longer wanted to work with the signatories of an anti-Bolloré forum.”The major place of this company in cinema gives it a voice that counts. I regret that the response, disproportionate at the very least, given to the very real concerns that have been expressed, has heightened them“, declared the minister during the government questions session.

On Sunday, the chairman of the Canal+ board of directors, Maxime Saada, announced that he no longer wanted his group, the leading financier of French cinema, to continue working with the professionals who signed a petition against its reference shareholder Vincent Bolloré.

Faced with this situation, the Society of Film Directors (SRF), which brings together 500 filmmakers, is proposing a “médiation“between the signatories of the anti-Bolloré platform and the Canal+ cinema teams in order to”restore trust“, according to a press release published Tuesday.

Published on May 12 in the newspaper Libérationthis forum denounced “the growing influence of the far right” in the 7th art, targeting the conservative billionaire. Its promoters claim at this stage 1,200 signatures, including the actors Swann Arlaud, Juliette Binoche and Jean-Pascal Zadi or the director Robin Campillo. Launched by 600 professionals, this forum now has more than 1,600 signatories, according to the collective Zapper Bolloré.