Roman Polanski petition circulating at Cannes

[celeb_2006]

Roman Polanski petition circulating at Cannes - Yahoo! Movies

CANNES -- To sign or not to sign is the big question at this year's Festival de Cannes, and there's not a deal memo in sight. But then a petition in support of director Roman Polanski, who is under house arrest in Switzerland in connection with a 33-year-old sex scandal, is always going to set tongues wagging.

The Croisette-pounders have even more to buzz about following new allegations Friday by British actress Charlotte Lewis that she was sexually abused by Polanski in 1982 when she was 16.

Just hours before Lewis made the claim at a news conference in Los Angeles, Michael Douglas -- in town this weekend for "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" -- said "Non" to the Polanski petition. It would be "unfair" for him to sign a petition for "somebody who did break the law," Douglas told French radio.

But the call is out for Competition directors to sign a docket in support of Polanski. The petition, posted on a website overseen by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, asks for "justice" from the Swiss authorities.

Cannes participants who've already put pen to paper for Polanski include Jean-Luc Godard, actor-director Mathieu Amalric, Bertrand Tavernier and Olivier Assayas.

But not everyone has signed up; organizers said there are mixed reasons -- some because they did not wish to be included while others, "more numerous," because they simply "did not have enough time to contact them."

A spokesperson for the Festival de Cannes told The Hollywood Reporter that it was not for the festival to offer an opinion on the petition or the fresh allegations.

"Our role here is to celebrate the artists and the films of the people who are here in Cannes," said a spokesperson. "This is for people to personally decide on, and it is not our role to speak out in this way."

With no movie here and "The Ghost Writer" having rolled out in most international territories after its domestic release by Summit Entertainment, it is all grist for the comment mills.

Polanski pleaded guilty in 1978 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. But after a judge said he would renege on the plea bargain, Polanski fled to his native France and has been a fugitive since then.

[msdeb]

Apprehended like a common terrorist Saturday evening, September 26, as he came to receive a prize for his entire body of work, Roman Polanski now sleeps in prison.
He risks extradition to the United States for an episode that happened years ago and whose principal plaintiff repeatedly and emphatically declares she has put it behind her and abandoned any wish for legal proceedings.
Seventy-six years old, a survivor of Nazism and of Stalinist persecutions in Poland, Roman Polanski risks spending the rest of his life in jail for deeds which would be beyond the statute-of-limitations in Europe.
We ask the Swiss courts to free him immediately and not to turn this ingenious filmmaker into a martyr of a politico-legal imbroglio that is unworthy of two democracies like Switzerland and the United States. Good sense, as well as honor, require it.
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Salman Rushdie
Milan Kundera
Pascal Bruckner
Neil Jordan
Isabelle Adjani
Arielle Dombasle
Isabelle Huppert
William Shawcross
Yamina Benguigui
Mike Nichols
Danièle Thompson
Diane von Furstenberg
Claude Lanzmann
Paul Auster


this is the petition. got it from Huffpo

[kingcap72]

Are they serious with this crap? Unbelievable.

Apprehended like a common terrorist Saturday evening, September 26, as he came to receive a prize for his entire body of work, Roman Polanski now sleeps in prison.
He risks extradition to the United States for an episode that happened years ago and whose principal plaintiff repeatedly and emphatically declares she has put it behind her and abandoned any wish for legal proceedings.

Polanski was apprehended like the common fugitive from justice that he is. And while I sympathize with the victim for not wanting to relive it, she wouldn't have relive it if Polanski had never fled the country. Or better yet, if he had never drugged and raped her to begin with. And just because they settled the civil side of the case, that doesn't negate the criminal side.

Seventy-six years old, a survivor of Nazism and of Stalinist persecutions in Poland, Roman Polanski risks spending the rest of his life in jail for deeds which would be beyond the statute-of-limitations in Europe.
We ask the Swiss courts to free him immediately and not to turn this ingenious filmmaker into a martyr of a politico-legal imbroglio that is unworthy of two democracies like Switzerland and the United States. Good sense, as well as honor, require it.

So, because Polanski survived persecution from the Nazis that means that he shouldn't have to pay for his crime? Well, since they mentioned Nazis I guess they forgot that there are plenty of elderly Nazi war criminals who have been brought to justice for their crimes decades after the fact, so what makes Polanski different?

And Polanski committed his crime in the U.S., so Europe's statute-of-limitations is irrelevant. And I like how they avoid mentioning the fact that Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old by calling it 'deeds' and an 'episode.'

[immature]

I wonder if the Kirk Douglas-Natalie Wood rumor played into Michael Douglas's decision not to sign the petition.

[Murphee]

I wonder if the Kirk Douglas-Natalie Wood rumor played into Michael Douglas's decision not to sign the petition.

Maybe with all the shit going in his family (his son in prison?) , he doesn't want anymore bad publicity. Or maybe he just thinks child rape is wrong.

[Kittylady]

I wonder if the Kirk Douglas-Natalie Wood rumor played into Michael Douglas's decision not to sign the petition.

I'm not sure I've heard that one. What rumour was that?

Whatever his reasoning, he's gone up fractionally in my estimation for refusing to sign the petition rather than ducking it like others seem to have done.

[bellini]

I'm not sure I've heard that one. What rumour was that?

I'm not sure of the specifics but he supposedly raped her in a hotel room.

Am I the only one who doesn't think Polanski is that awesome of a filmmaker?

I really hate how past sufferings give him a free pass to some people. Why is that?

[immature]

I'm not saying I believe the rumor--dunno about it--or that his not signing the petition was some sort of cynical calculation, just wondering.

Kittylady, there is a longstanding rumor (which I only recently found out about myself) that Kirk Douglas is the assailant Wood reported to several friends.

[Kittylady]

Ok, thanks for that bellini and immature.

As far as Polanski goes, I'm disappointed by the names that have chosen to back him and those who continue to duck the issue. He was tried and convicted in a court of law and should face the punishment for his crime. He is not and should not be considered above the law due to some warped kudos that they feel can be attained through working with him.

[aggie]

I wonder if the Kirk Douglas-Natalie Wood rumor played into Michael Douglas's decision not to sign the petition.

Ooh, good point!

[bychance]

Are they serious with this crap? Unbelievable.



Polanski was apprehended like the common fugitive from justice that he is. And while I sympathize with the victim for not wanting to relive it, she wouldn't have relive it if Polanski had never fled the country. Or better yet, if he had never drugged and raped her to begin with. And just because they settled the civil side of the case, that doesn't negate the criminal side.



So, because Polanski survived persecution from the Nazis that means that he shouldn't have to pay for his crime? Well, since they mentioned Nazis I guess they forgot that there are plenty of elderly Nazi war criminals who have been brought to justice for their crimes decades after the fact, so what makes Polanski different?

And Polanski committed his crime in the U.S., so Europe's statute-of-limitations is irrelevant. And I like how they avoid mentioning the fact that Polanski drugged and raped a 13-year-old by calling it 'deeds' and an 'episode.'

Agree with everything you said.

[OrangeSlice]

How kind of them to provide us with a list of people to never support again. Appreciate it much.

It's just beyond unfathomable to me how some people can even defend him. I know it's already been said, but I wonder how many of them would let him drug, rape, and sodomize their young daughter, plead guilty, and flee with no consequences- and still feel like he's the victim in all of this.