A Belgian film collective is calling for an end to "systemic violence" in the film industry following a spate of harassment allegations against director Joachim Lafosse.
Earlier this month, French newspaper Libération revealed that 12 women had accused Lafosse of bullying, sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour over the course of his 20-year career. In light of these events, film collective 'Elle Font Des Films' has reiterated its support for victims and has called for an end to harassment in the film industry.
"We cannot pretend that there is no problem," the organisation stated. "For several years now, 'Elles Font Des Films', along with other professional federations and associations, has been sounding the alarm and joining forces to put an end to the systemic violence which is plaguing the Belgian audiovisual landscape."
It has called for a number of measures to improve the workplace for all. These include free training courses to combat sexist and sexual violence for producers and directors, free training for anti-harassment referents, development of "intimacy coordinator" roles and more investment in statistics-driven studies about minority experiences of the filmset.
Belgium must take stock
One important demand is for the State to take stock of all pre-existing testimonies of sexual violence in the industry. The website 'Paye Ton Tournage' records over 500, and 'Elles Font Des Films' believes that such a wealth of testimonies can be used to develop a legal framework protect people in vulnerable situations on set.
"There is an urgent need to develop legislation which takes account of the specific characteristics of the film industry (strong hierarchy, precarious and short-term contracts, etc.) so that abusive behaviour can no longer have a place in our industry," the collective stated.
"It is time to get out of this system, in which relationships of domination have been accepted as the norm for too long, right from film school."
