Samuel Theis, who played the husband of Sandra Hüller’s character in the award-winning film Golden Globe de Justine Triet Anatomy of a fallwas expelled from the filming of his third film as a director, They are chasing youafter being accused of rape by a team member, confirmed Variety. For the rest of production, Theis remained on location, but directed the film remotely.
The alleged sexual assault It took place in the middle of filming, after a party held in an apartment with the cast and crew, on July 1 of last year, according to the French newspaper Liberation. The team member spent the night on the floor where the party was held, due to his drunken state, and alleged that he was raped by Theis in the early morning hours. The filmmaker, for his part, has argued that it was consensual, according to Liberation.
Shortly after, the crew member decided to leave the shoot. The producer of They are chasing youCaroline Bonmarchand, told Variety that after learning of the alleged incident, it turned to an outside organization to conduct an internal investigation within the cast and crew.
During the ongoing trial, Bonmarchand held meetings to find a preemptive solution, which was to physically remove Theis from the set and have him direct it remotely. Theis would come in the morning before filming started to prepare everything and she would go to another room, Bonmarchand said. Actors could come to him if they needed to, and Theis communicated with crew members via monitors.
Bonmarchand, who has attended a workshop to prevent sexual harassment and assault on set as part of the National Film Board’s guidelines for applying for grants, said the protocol allowed production to be completed despite the circumstances. Members of the technical team also had the opportunity to speak with a psychologist.
Filming wrapped at the end of July and, according to the magazine Telerama, the team member has since filed a police report against Theis. But Theis’s lawyer, Marie Dosé, told Variety that she is not aware of an official complaint and has not been contacted about an ongoing investigation. At the time of publication, Variety could not access the complaint.
At the press conference in Cannes, Theis is second from the right. Reuters Photo“The only investigation into this case was ordered by the production and carried out by an independent organization. It was delivered in September and had 300 pages; the conclusion is that there were no elements that qualified what happened as a sexual assault,” Dosé said in a statement. He added that the report included a witness who had entered the room Theis and the accuser were in and described it as a “tender moment.”
They are chasing you It stars several non-professional actors, as well as important French stars such as Marina Foïs and Louise Bourgoin. Bonmarchand is one of the best-known production companies in France. His company, Avenue B Productions, is behind several recent hits, including The origin of evilde Sebastien Marnier.