#MeToo struggled to find traction in France. Then Judith Godrèche came forward

CANNES, France (AP) — Before Judith Godrèche kickstarted a #MeToo wave in the French industry, she was one of the first prominent actors to go on the record against Harvey Weinstein.

Godrèche was 24 and attending the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of her film “Ridicule.” Weinstein, who had just acquired the film, invited her to his Hotel du Cap suite to discuss a possible Oscar campaign. Weinstein, she recounted to The New York Times in 2017, forced himself on her and she fled.

That was 1996. Now, Godrèche is in Cannes at another pivotal juncture in the #MeToo movement. On Wednesday, months after she alleged two prominent filmmakers sexually abused her when she was a teen, Godrèche premiered her poignant short, “Moi Aussi” (“Me Too”).

“It’s extremely meaningful for me to be there because that’s where Harvey tried to rape me,” Godrèche said in an interview. “But honestly, there are so many places in the world and so many movie sets and locations and moments in my actress life that were not OK. If I was to see the world only through this perspective anytime I’m going through something related to filmmaking, I think I’d just run away and stop.”