Casting directors ask that nudity be prohibited in their activities

Casting directors asked the deputies this Thursday, May 30, for a law that prohibits all nudity during recruitment tests for film actors, in order to prevent sexual violence.

The proposal is included in a working document from the organization that represents the profession, the Artistic Distribution Managers Association (ARDA). It was delivered to parliamentarians but was not made public.

This ban, which will soon be included in the profession’s charter of conduct, was mentioned on Thursday during a hearing of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry into violence in cinema, audiovisuals, live performances, fashion and advertising.

“No nude or semi-nude will be allowed, under any circumstances, in any phase of the casting,” reads this document, which takes up a proposal from the 50/50 Collective, which fights for equality and parity in cinema and audiovisuals. . . Likewise, “any simulation of a sexual act” should not be allowed, nor should “nude photos” be communicated before, during or after a casting.

“Do you think we could ban it or put it in the law one way or another?” asked MP Erwan Balanant, chairman of the investigative commission. “Absolutely,” responded ARDA member Julie David. “It’s even essential,” continued Julie Gandossi, another casting director.

Technical Advisor Status

According to ARDA, in France there are “more than 120” active casting directors, 87 of whom belong to this association created in 2001. The same commission of inquiry heard on the same day five “intimacy coordinators”, a new cinematographic profession born in the United States to frame scenes of a sexual nature. They asked that more space be made for their profession.

“Our profession does not exist in the collective agreement. When they call us, many times it is for production and we have the status of technical advisor for the staging,” said one of them, Najoua Ferréol.

While most were trained through organizations in English-speaking countries, Paloma García Martens called for “training in Francophone French” or “a form of certification that takes into account the knowledge and skills acquired,” as well as “a regulation that encourage producers to hire them. .

ARDA co-president Laurent Couraud, for his part, considered the presence of privacy coordinators during castings unnecessary. “You cannot do intimate scenes during a casting, for now it is not necessary,” he said.