A French actor stood naked on stage during a César Awards ceremony in Paris to protest the government’s closing of theaters and cinemas during the coronavirus pandemic.
Corinne Masiero had “no culture, no future” written on his chest and “return the art, Jean” on his back, in a message to the Prime Minister, Jean Castex.
Masiero, 57, took the stage to deliver the award for best costume and donned a donkey outfit and a bloodstained dress before undressing for the audience.
France’s response to the Oscar, the ceremony is normally the biggest night on the French cinema calendar, but on Friday there were no flashes on the red carpet and no partner in the arms of the nominees for the award.
The ceremony took place in a theater as anger and frustration grew among actors, musicians and artists with the government’s unwillingness to set a date for the reopening of museums, galleries, concert halls and cinemas.
Marina Foïs, one of France’s best-known comedians, pointed to the government closing theaters and cinemas in a scorching speech to open the ceremony.
Foïs, who hosted the evening, criticized the culture minister, Roselyne Bachelot, for finding time to write a book during the Covid-19 crisis and said: “I am losing confidence in you.”
She also criticized the French government’s broader strategy to combat the virus, as cases in the country reached 4 million.
“They imprisoned our young people, closed our cinemas and theaters and banned shows so that they could open churches, because we are a secular country, so that the elderly could go to church,” she said. Most French people are Roman Catholic.
Across the capital, several dozen demonstrators occupied the Odeon Theater for the eighth night, demanding the reopening of cultural spaces and more financial support.