French filmmaker Catherine Corsini said she was “too proud and pretentious” to use intimacy coaches on the set of her Cannes competition title Homecoming, while speaking at the film’s press conference today (May 18).
France’s CNC pulled funding on the film after Corsini failed to inform the organisation of an intimate scene involving two minors that was added to the script without being pre-approved in the shooting schedule. Separate allegations of harassment and inappropriate behaviour surfaced, unrelated to the intimate scene in question, leading the festival to hold off on announcing Homecoming in official selection until an investigation was carried out.
The film was added to the Cannes line-up two weeks after the main conference, and no formal charges were filed.
When reflecting on the shooting of the film’s intimate scenes, which did not involve an intimacy coach, Corsini said: “Maybe I was a bit too proud and pretentious. I thought I’ve got 30, 35 years of experience, I can do things better than an intimacy coach.”
In a letter defending the allegations, penned by Corsini and producers, they claimed the two minors in question were offered intimacy coaches but declined, stating they “trusted” Corsini.
On what she would do differently when filming intimate scenes in the future, the director said: “I would ask myself more questions. If we had intimacy coaches, for example, so that the actors could feel happy.
“These are very important issues and so I might call upon an intimacy coach maybe. I would be careful to ensure actresses felt at ease.”
Homecoming star Aïssatou Diallo Sagna was quick to jump to Corsini’s defence, claiming she “didn’t agree” with the director’s desire to use intimacy coaches in future.
The actor, who previously starred in Corsini’s 2021 Competition title The Divide, said: “I was a bit afraid of this scene, yes, but everyone was very kind […] we took the requisite time to work things out. Everyone was very kind and gentle.”
One of the young actors in question, Harold Orsini who was 17 at the time of filming, confirmed that Corsini offered the pair an intimacy coach but they refused. “We felt it wasn’t necessary and things worked out really well,” he said.
The intimate scene in question was cut from the final film.
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