Established 1961 13 Lifestyle Features Thursday, February 25, 2021

rench film giant Gerard Depardieu has been charged with rape and tions sparked by Dutch-Belgian Fsexual assault, a judicial source told actress Sand Van Roy accusing AFP on Tuesday, the latest in a string of him of repeatedly raping her over a such allegations against prominent fig- two-year period. She is one of nine ures in France. Depardieu, one of the women who have said they were most famous actors of his generation, is assaulted or harassed by the pow- accused of assaulting and raping an erful director and producer, maker actress in her 20s in 2018. An initial of “Nikita” and “The Fifth Element”, investigation into the rape accusations who has always denied the accusa- against the 72-year old Depardieu was ctor Gerard Depardieu is the tions. Van Roy, 28, had minor roles dropped in 2019 for lack of evidence. latest member of France’s in Besson’s “Taxi 5” and “Valerian But it was reopened last summer, In this file photo French actor Gerard Depardieu poses during a photocall for the second Afilm and literary elite to be and the City of a Thousand leading to criminal charges being filed in season of the French TV show “Marseille” broadcasted and co-produced by US streaming accused of sexual assault, with the Planets”. Last month Besson was December, the judicial source said. The video giant Netflix in Marseille, southern France.— AFP 72-year-old charged with raping a named as an assisted witness in actress accuses Depardieu of having young actress. While the #MeToo the second case involving Van Roy, raped and assaulted her at his Parisian over the course of his career he has in 2008. Besides his prolific acting movement was slower to take hold which indicates that a judge con- home on two separate occasions in often been embroiled in scandals which career, he has also been a winemaker, in France despite some of the siders there is some evidence to August 2018. Depardieu’s lawyer Herve have hit the headlines, and thrown public restaurant owner and a singer. Just over accusations against disgraced suggest culpability, but not enough Temime told AFP that the actor, who is tantrums. three years since the #MeToo movement Hollywood producer Harvey to charge. free but under judicial supervision, “com- broke taboos around rape across the Weinstein having taken place at the pletely rejects the accusations”. He also His dark side world, France is seeing an outpouring of Cannes film festival, there has been Haenel: Harassed at 12 said he regretted that the case had been He knocked a paparazzi uncon- stories and a wide-ranging debate about a dam-burst of allegations since. Adele Haenel, one of the coun- made public. According to a source scious in 2005, urinated in the cabin of sex, power and consent. try’s most acclaimed actresses, is close to the case, Depardieu is a friend a Paris-Dublin flight in 2011 and Roman Polanski: Fugitive credited with helping break an of the actress’s family. attacked a motorist in central Paris in Wave of allegations The director of “Rosemary’s omerta in the French industry by 2012. The following year he was fined Other big names in cinema to be Baby” and “The Pianist” has faced saying she was sexually harassed ‘Nothing professional’ for drink driving. accused of sexual assault or rape a number of sex assault allegations as a 12-year-old by the director of Some reports have suggested that “The man is dark but the actor is include director Luc Besson, whose since fleeing to France from Los her first film. Paris prosecutors Depardieu and the actress were rehears- huge,” actress Catherine Deneuve, who films include “Nikita” and “The Fifth Angeles in 1978 after admitting to opened an investigation in 2019 ing a scene of a theatre play, but the starred alongside Depardieu in The Last Element”. Week after week new revela- the statutory rape of a 13-year-old into the claims. Haenel, now 32, source said “there was nothing profes- Metro, said of him. Depardieu tions have targeted the rich and power- girl. The United States has tried on says Christophe Ruggia subjected sional about the encounter”. The announced in late 2012 that he was “giv- ful, with one of the country’s best-known several occasions to extradite the her to “constant sexual harass- woman’s lawyer, Elodie Tuaillon-Hibon, ing his passport back” to protest against television presenters, Patrick Poivre Oscar winner, who is a dual ment” from the age of 12 to 15, told AFP that she hoped her client’s “pri- French tax rates, went into tax exile in d’Arvor, becoming the latest to be French-Polish national. including “forced kisses on the vate sphere will be respected” as the Belgium and became a citizen of Russia accused of rape. In 2019 French photographer neck” and touching during a three- case unfolds. Besides long being a which he called “a great democracy”, The French political establishment Valentine Monnier accused year spell working on the 2002 film, superstar in his home country, regularly praising Russian President has also been rocked by similar accusa- Polanski of raping her in his Swiss “The Devils”. Ruggia denied sexual Depardieu is one of France’s best-known Vladimir Putin. tions, including against current Interior chalet in 1975 when she was 18- harassment but was expelled from actors abroad. After Paris prosecutors reopened the Minister Gerald Darmanin. And a former year-old actress, saying he tried to the French Society of Film Directors He won acclaim in French-language case brought by the actress, an investi- French government minister, Georges give her a pill as he beat her “into after admitting that his “adulation” films such as “The Last Metro” and “Jean gating magistrate questioned Depardieu Tron, last week began serving three submission”. Polanski denies the for the actress could have proved de Florette,” but went on to perform in a on December 16 and, finding “serious years in prison after a court found him allegations. distressing. —AFP range of English-language movies, and corroborated evidence”, brought the guilty of raping an employee during “foot including the romantic comedy “Green charges. Police also proceeded to a massages” in his office and at the home Luc Besson: Nine accusers Card” and a film version of “Hamlet”. He confrontation between Depardieu and of his co-defendant.—AFP Luc Besson-once France’s most is famous for untiringly shooting film after his alleged victim, a judicial source said. powerful movie moguls-has been film clocking up more than 200 cinema Depardieu is the father of four, including embroiled in two rape investiga- or TV films over more than 50 years. But the actor Guillaume Depardieu who died

A poster with Apu from the show ‘The Simpsons’ is seen at a 7-Eleven in Burbank, ave Daft Punk really gone for California. — Reuters good? Despite announcing their Hretirement on Monday, no one should write off the inscrutable pair just In this file photo French members of the band Daft Punk pose in In this file photo Daft Punk’s installation Technologic Redux from yet, say those who have closely followed the pits at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de 2019 is displayed during the press visit of the exhibition ‘Electro - their career. “No one’s ever been able to Monaco in Monte Carlo. — AFP photos From Kraftwerk to Daft Punk’ at the Philharmonie in Paris. get in their heads. It’s hard to break through those robot helmets,” said solo music projects. That has been the ‘Not joining The Voice’ approach to fame. “I don’t see either of Patrice Bardot, author of “Electrorama,” a path for other French house duos. Air’s They might also like to get behind the them becoming a judge on The Voice book on French dance music. From pro- Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel camera themselves. The eight-minute any time soon,” joked Yves Bigot, who ducing Japanese anime to making their have multiple side projects on the go, clip that announced their retirement on co-wrote a book about the duo, “Daft own strange cult film, Thomas Bangalter hite actor Harry Shearer is step- while an album by Gaspard Auge, one Monday was lifted from their 2006 film Punk, Incognito”. “Guy-Manuel is a timid and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo ping back from voicing the black half of Justice, is reportedly on the way. “Electroma”. It was not exactly a huge guy, he’s the one who speaks least in have thrown plenty of interesting curve- Dr. Hibbert on “The Simpsons” The Daft Punk pair have already made hit, but the pair have never shown much interviews. And it’s not like Thomas is W balls since first taking over dancefloors in a few moves in this direction, with concern with meeting public expecta- about to become the next David Guetta,” after more than 30 years. While some fans the 1990s. are mourning his departure-the latest Homem-Christo, 47, doing production tions, and having shifted millions of he added. Bigot couldn’t help but give a Few believe the robots have perma- white actor to think better of playing non- work for Charlotte Gainsbourg and albums over the years, they face few lim- little grist to the never-ending Daft Punk nently left Earth’s orbit. “Stars are some- white parts-others are shocked and sur- Sebastien Tellier. Bangalter, 46, has itations. “They’ll be attracted to projects rumor mill: “Nothing is stopping them thing that we see because they are prised that Springfield’s favorite medical pulled soundtrack duties for French where they will have a lot of independ- from reforming later. There are plenty of dead. These guys are very much living professional was as white as his lab coat. director Gaspar Noe, including on his ence since they don’t exactly need the examples of that in music.”—AFP and will continue their career,” electronic We look at how Hollywood is realizing that controversial film “Irreversible”. As a duo, money,” said Bardot. “They have a ten- music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre told black voices matter: they worked on several film scores, dency to pop up where you least expect AFP, adding that he would be “very including a Tron remake in 2010 and them,” he added. pleased” to work with them in the future. ‘The Simpsons’ were tentatively linked to an upcoming Whatever happens, it is highly unlikely The obvious bet is that they will pursue Dr. Hibbert is only one of several char- film by Italian director Dario Argento. that they will give up their highly cautious acters of color on “The Simpsons” to have been voiced for decades by white actors including his wife Bernice, Homer’s nuclear plant colleague Carlton Carlson and of course, Apu, the Indian-American convenience store owner. Hank Azaria’s heavily-accented caricature of the grocer rom a cobblestoned street in down- imports, mass-produced fragrances glass bottles. “We don’t have brand region, would be terrified if they knew that came under sharp scrutiny after comedi- town Belgrade, the Sava perfumery poured in, pushing local mixers out of names. We don’t have brand bottles. We many masculine fragrances-wonderful an Hari Kondabolu’s documentary “The Fhas seen more than half a century business. don’t have brand boxes. We simplified our and popular fragrances-have floral com- Problem with Apu” fingered the perform- sweep past without ceasing in its mission Crippling sanctions in the 1990s, when packaging and our interior as much as we ponents,” Nenad said with a laugh. ance as offensive. Azaria finally quit the to keep the city’s citizens smelling flowery Serbia and other ex-Yugoslav republics could so we can allow customers the The store stays afloat thanks to a loyal role last year, saying that continuing to and fresh. The artisanal shop-which mixes broke apart in a series of wars, dealt experience of discovering what they like,” clientele, plus a growing interest from play him “just didn’t feel right”. Dr. Hibbert its perfumes in-house-is the last of its kind another blow to the industry. “One by one explained Nemanja. After enquiring about tourists interested in what Nemanja calls its is now being played by Kevin Michael in the Serbian capital, thanks to the they started shutting down. And in the preferences-floral, citrus, sweet or musky- “living museum”. At a time when Covid-19 Richardson, while Carlson has been Jovanov family who are committed to end, we were the only ones to remain,” they use an old-fashioned pump to test has taken away many people’s sense of recast with another black actor Alex keeping the craft alive. said Nenad. different fragrances on the client’s arms. smell, an appreciation of its power has also Desert. While the city has gone through many Shoppers are then encouraged to take deepened. “The sense of smell is one of changes, the store remains a snapshot in No labels a walk and return later to choose which the most important,” mused Nenad, who ‘Aladdin’ to ‘Pocahontas’ time, with glass bottles, mixing vials and When customers enter the tiny store, perfume they like best, as the scent works in a white lab coat. “It can transport Disney’s “Aladdin” is one of the indus- other tools passed down through three Nenad or his son Nemanja, who also evolves over time after its first contact with us to another place, another time.” — AFP try’s most notorious examples of white- generations. The work is a labor of love for works in the film industry, help them navi- the skin. Most of their ingredients come washing, with white actors voicing the title the Jovanovs, whose other sources of gate the wooden shelves of label-less from France. “Men, at least those in this role, Princesse Jasmine, and the Genie in income enable them to continue with the the 1992 film. At the time, the casting perfumery. “We have remained because passed more or less unnoticed. But of tradition, love, affection and willingness Disney caused much more controversy to do a job which at certain times doesn’t when its live action film version in 2018 earn you enough money to subsist,” the saw extras “browned up” with makeup to shop’s jovial owner Nenad Jovanov, 71, appear more Arab. told AFP as he mixed a custom eau de toi- The studio’s 1995 animated feature lette in the shop’s laboratory-like back “Pocahontas” seemed to signal a bigger room, measuring out ingredients with shift in thinking, however, with indigenous beakers and pipettes. actors in all major roles, though The perfumery dates back to the 1940s Pocahontas’s singing voice was lent by but opened under its current name a Judy Kuhn. Disney has since put dis- decade later, when communist authorities claimers on some of its classic films like in then-Yugoslavia reversed a decision to “The Jungle Book”, “Dumbo”, and “The ban private business, allowing the family Lady and the Tramp” warning that they to take back ownership. In the 1950s and include “negative depictions and/or mis- 60s, such perfumeries enjoyed a “golden treatment of people or cultures”. And this age” in Belgrade, said Nenad, recalling week “The Muppet Show” added a similar more than 20 other family-run shops. But Nenad Jovanov poses for a picture with perfume bottles in his 67 Nenad Jovanov (right) and his son Nemanja pose for a picture warning to 18 of its episodes.—AFP as Yugoslavia started opening up to years old perfume shop in Belgrade. — AFP photos with perfumes bottles in his 67 years old perfume shop in Belgrade.