Roman Polanski’s new film has been added to the Cannes film festival lineup as his legal battle to return to the US continues.
The Rosemary’s Baby director’s new thriller Based on a True Story will play out of competition. It stars Eva Green as a mysterious woman who tries to insert herself into the life of a famous author, played by Polanski’s off-screen wife Emmanuelle Seigner.
The announcement arrives as the 83-year-old film-maker’s lawyer continues to argue for his return to US after he fled in 1977. Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old and has spent the last 40 years in Europe. Last month, Polanski was denied the promise of “special treatment” if he came back to the US, with jail time still possible.
This week saw Polanski’s victim Samantha Geimer write a letter to the Los Angeles DA criticizing their treatment of the case.
“You and those that have come before you have never protected me, you have treated me with contempt, using a crime committed against me to further your own careers,” it read. “You refuse to investigate the truth, you seek to hide testimony and defame those who produce relevant evidence and facts with accusations of criminal activity, facts you ignore to serve yourselves.”
Deputy district attorney Michele Hanisee responded with a denial of any wrongdoing on her end. “With respect to your comments about investigations of misconduct, this office has never ‘covered up’ any misconduct, nor is there, as you suggest, any misconduct continuing today,” she wrote. “As a victim you have a right to notice of the substantive proceedings in the case and to be heard about the substantive proceedings in the case.”
Polanski’s last film Venus in Fur also received its premiere at the Cannes film festival and won him the Cesar for best director. Last year’s festival saw controversy for director Woody Allen as allegations of his sexual abuse resurfaced with estranged son Ronan Farrow writing a piece for the Hollywood Reporter.
Other new additions to the festival lineup include Force Majeure director Ruben Östlund’s drama The Square, starring Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West. Previously announced titles include new films from Sofia Coppola and Michael Haneke.
