Woody Allen presence sparks protest at Venice Film Festival
Last night, controversial filmmaker Woody Allen received a three-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival premiere of his latest movie, Coup de Chance. However, the applause was offset by protesters furious at his presence in light of the well-publicised sexual abuse allegations he faces.
As reported by Variety, after two and a half minutes of applause after the film finished, Allen made his way to the exit, which ended the ovation. The director took out a tissue after being moved by the reaction to the new thriller.
Written and directed by the American director, Coup de Chance is a French-language movie that follows a couple in Paris whose lives unfold after one of them encounters an old flame. It stars Lou de Laage, Valerie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud and Niels Schneider. It’s his first release since 2020’s Rifkin’s Festival.
Notably, that film and its 2019 predecessor, A Rainy Day in New York, which starred Timothée Chalamet and Selena Gomez, did not have a full theatrical release due to distributors in the US avoiding Allen since the allegations of sexual molestation made by his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, the biological offspring of his ex-partner, Mia Farrow.
At the Venice Film Festival, Allen was greeted by a standing ovation in the theatre and on the red carpet, yet some fans protested at his presence there. Despite being met with cheering fans on the red carpet, just outside of it, a group of protesters walked by, who reportedly removed their shirts and handed out flyers, imploring the event to “turn the spotlight off of rapists.”
“This year the Biennale Venice Film Festival has decided to give space to Woody Allen, Luc Besson and Roman Polanski, three directors involved in sexual violence against women, including minors,” the note added.
In other Woody Allen news, the filmmaker recently backed the under-fire Spanish FA President, Luis Rubiales, for his unsolicited kiss to Jenny Hermoso after the Spain Women’s Team won the World Cup. He told El Mundo that while Rubiales should apologise to Hermoso, too much of a big deal is being made over “just a kiss”.
“The kiss on the soccer player was wrong, but it did not burn down a school,” Allen said. “He has the duty to apologise and go ahead… They didn’t hide, nor did he kiss her in a dark alley. He wasn’t raping her, it was just a kiss, and she was a friend.” Continuing, he enquired, “What’s wrong with that?”
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