Roman Polanski’s latest film The Palace is set to hit French theaters on May 15, distributed by a small company specializing in heritage cinema, despite the filmmaker’s controversial status.
Swashbuckler Films, a small distributor known for its focus on cinematic heritage, announced on Tuesday that it plans to release Roman Polanski’s latest film, The Palace, in French theaters on May 15. The decision comes as a surprise, given that Polanski has become a symbol of the #MeToo movement, with much of the film industry turning its back on him.
“Nobody wanted the film,” Sébastien Tiveyrat, the head of Swashbuckler Films, told AFP. “I’m only interested in cinema, not the rest, and Roman Polanski is a great filmmaker,” he added. The distributor must now find theaters willing to screen the film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year in Polanski’s absence, receiving a chilly reception. The film was released in Italy but not in the United States.
The Palace, shot in Gstaad, Switzerland, is a comedy set in a luxury hotel on New Year’s Eve 2000. The cast includes Fanny Ardant, John Cleese and Mickey Rourke, but no currently popular stars. The film aims to satirize the excesses of the era, featuring a gallery of outrageous characters, including Russian oligarchs, unbearable billionaires, a nymphomaniac client and a lecherous plumber. There’s even a dog that ends up mating with a penguin.
This comedy, with a budget of 21 million euros, differs from Polanski’s major works, which include the multi-award-winning Holocaust film The Pianist and the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby. The 90-year-old filmmaker has directed 23 feature films throughout his career.
Polanski has become a symbol of impunity for perpetrators of sexual violence in the film industry for some. He has seen much of the profession turn against him since the #MeToo movement and the 2020 César Awards ceremony, where he was awarded the César for Best Director for J’accuse in his absence. The filmmaker has consistently denied the accusations that have emerged in recent years, relating to incidents that allegedly occurred around the 1970s.
From a legal standpoint, Polanski was arrested in the United States in 1977, where he was living at the time, and accused of drugging and raping 13-year-old Samantha Gailey (now Geimer). He served 42 days in prison before being released and fleeing to Paris. He has since been the subject of an international arrest warrant issued by the US justice system.
The filmmaker is scheduled to appear in court in California in 2025 for a civil trial related to the alleged rape of a minor in 1973, accusations that he “firmly denies,” according to his Parisian lawyer.
Despite the controversy surrounding Polanski, Swashbuckler Films has chosen to distribute The Palace in France, focusing solely on the film’s artistic merits and Polanski’s status as a renowned filmmaker. The decision has sparked debate about separating art from the artist and the ongoing impact of the #MeToo movement on the film industry. As the release date approaches, it remains to be seen how French audiences and theaters will respond to this latest work from a director whose personal life has overshadowed his cinematic achievements in recent years.
With AFP
