A group of topless protestors have disrupted the world premiere of Woody Allen’s latest film Coup de Chance in Venice.
Around 15 protestors, the majority of them women wearing tape across their chests, stood outside the Palazzo del Cinema venue and chanted in support of victims of rape and sexual assault. The protestors were from several Italian collectives, including feminist group Non Una Di Meno, which hails from Venice, Padova and Treviso; and smaller collectives Cso Morion, Spina Collective, Squeert Collective and Cso Pedro.
The protestors also distributed a leaflet titled ‘Turn the spotlight off on rapists’, which included a statement of several hundred words decrying the inclusion of Allen, Luc Besson and Roman Polanski in this year’s Venice Film Festival.
The statement read, ‘If violence is never considered serious enough or credible enough, and if those who perpetrate it continue never to be held responsible, things can never change’.
The protests are the latest displays of dissent against the inclusion of directors Allen, Luc Besson and Roman Polanski in this year’s festival. Earlier today, French film collective Tapis Rouge, Colere Noire placed messages around Venice, Paris and Deauville, criticising the inclusion of the three men in Venice and Deauville festivals.
Allen’s adopted daughter Dylan Farrow has alleged he sexually molested her in 1992 when she was seven years old. Allen has always denied the claims and a prosecutor declined to press charges against the director.
Meanwhile Polanski admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977, and is unable to travel to the country where he could be arrested. He did not attend Venice to promote his out-of-competition title The Palace.
French director Besson was cleared of a rape accusation in June by a French court, and made an emotional appearance at the festival to promote his Competition title Dogman on Thursday, August 31.
Earlier on Monday, Allen did not receive questions about protests at his inclusion in the festival at his Coup de Chance press conference. The director did speak on the topic of luck in his life, saying ”I’ve never had anything terrible happen to me.”
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