Overview
- Culture Minister Catherine Pegard, speaking Tuesday in parliament, called Maxime Saada’s threat “disproportionate” following Sunday’s Cannes announcement to stop working with roughly 600 petition signers.
- Saada told producers he saw the petition as an injustice to Canal+ staff and said he would not collaborate with people who labeled the company “crypto‑fascist.”
- The open letter, titled “Time To Switch‑Off Bolloré,” warns that Vincent Bolloré’s growing reach — including Canal+ taking a 34% stake in UGC with an option to buy it by 2028 — risks narrowing what films get financed and shown.
- Canal+ defended its editorial independence and highlighted a €480 million pledge to invest in French and European films through the end of 2027.
- Filmmakers and producers in Cannes called the stance an effective blacklist that could shake funding pipelines and careers, while director Arthur Harari said he respects Canal+ teams even as he stands by warnings about Bolloré’s influence.