A tribute to Brigitte Bardot at France’s edition of the Oscars at Césars on Thursday was greeted with derision. In a video clip posted by Paris Match, the tribute was met with applause and chants of “Racist!” The slogan can be heard clearly. Also worth listening to.
Bardot, who died in December aged 91, arguably became the best-known figure in post-war French cinema for films such as And God Created Woman and Contempt, but her later years after leaving acting in the early 1970s saw an increase in far-right political activity, resulting in her being convicted of inciting racial hatred.
The mixed nature of Bardot’s legacy was highlighted by composer Chappelle Rhone, deleting a tribute to the actor on social media after his death, writing, “Oh crap, I didn’t know about the crazy nonsense that Ms. Bardot stood for. I don’t condone it. Very disappointing to learn that.”
Despite being famous for her “sex kitten” image in the 1950s and 60s, Bardot turned to animal rights activism after her retirement before becoming increasingly outspoken on political issues. His 2003 book A Cry in the Silence took aim at gay men and lesbians, schoolteachers, and the so-called “Islamization of French society”. French courts fined him several times for racist and homophobic comments, particularly those targeting France’s Muslim community.
Protesting the César Awards is nothing new, recent examples include Corinne Masiero’s “nude” stunt in 2021 and Roman Polanski’s walkout in 2020 after winning the Best Director César.
The family drama The Ties That Bind Us, directed by Carine Tardieu, won the César Award for Best Film, and Richard Linklater won Best Director for Nouvelle Vague, his film based on the making of Godard’s Breathless.
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