Overview
- On Friday May 29 Maxime Saada told shareholders he 'assumes' having said Canal+ would no longer finance films by signatories of a mid‑May Libération tribune targeting Vincent Bolloré while denying any formal 'blacklist'.
- Saada said he will add a new funding criterion that assesses how project leaders regard Canal+ and whether their actions have caused reputational prejudice to the company.
- He cited public boos of the Canal+ logo at some Cannes screenings and accusations that the group promotes a 'fascist vision' as examples of reputational harm and defended Bolloré for helping to stabilize Canal+ financially before its split from Vivendi.
- Saada also said Canal+ will not 'hunt down' technicians who signed the petition and that he does not intend to stop funding films solely because a technician was a signatory.
- The dispute highlights a wider tension between freedom of expression and corporate cultural funding in France and could influence which films receive Canal+ backing given the company’s role as a major cinema funder and Bolloré’s position as its reference shareholder.