Overview
- At an October talk at the Sorbonne, Frédéric Bonnaud said Maria Schneider was mistreated and used during the 1972 shoot of Last Tango in Paris but not sexually abused, according to a Mediapart recording.
- Culture Minister Rachida Dati condemned the statements and asked president Costa-Gavras and the board to consider swift measures in response.
- The Cinémathèque’s board met Thursday and unanimously expressed regret over the remarks, issuing a reprimand and noting Bonnaud acknowledged their impact.
- The dispute revives the #MeToo-era reassessment of the film’s ethics, centered on a surprise simulated sodomy scene involving Schneider at age 20.
- The institution faced a similar storm in late 2024 when it canceled a planned screening of the film after feminist protests and later apologized to a parliamentary inquiry.