Cecil Delarue. “The scandalous are women who risked their careers and dared to oppose society”

through a documentary film Scandals*Journalist Cécile Delarue highlights women with extraordinary origins that have allowed society to thrive: Lio, Nadine Maïga, Corinne Masiero… Exclusive guests who have shared their stories, often considered “scandalous”. takes you back through 70 years of women’s rights.December 20 at 11:30 p.m. Discovery Documentary France in 3

Madame Figaro .- Why did you choose to address this topic and these women to cover it?
Cecil Delarue: ScandalousThis is the idea that Laurent Delahus had after the César ceremony in 2021, when Adele Hennel left the room. I chose these women because they have all been talked about for being “scandalous”. Some did it unwillingly, like Myriam with the “Tomorrow, I take off my top” ad. She just wanted to treat herself to a yoga retreat and changed the way we accept the naked body on the street.There are also Nadine Trintina, Françoise Fabian and Brigitte Fontaine who signed the 343 manifesto for abortion rights. Juliet Greco was also considered outrageous because she wore pants and had to hide her bisexuality. These are things that seem normal to us, but were scandalous at the time. These women risked their careers and dared to stand up to society. I spent a lot of time digging through the ORTF archives as well as new databases to find icons that helped make this switch. It was clear to me that it started with Brigitte Bardot and that it ended with Adele Haenel and Corinne Masiero at the 2021 César ceremony.

How did these figures contribute to the advancement of women’s rights?
They are all pioneers. Brigitte Bardot, for example, is this young bourgeois teenager from the 16th arrondissement who suddenly strips. She seems to have a certain ease with her body. she brings the word “sexual” to France and the idea of ​​sexual liberation. All the women in this documentary convey something a little different, obviously, the idea that we can choose what we do with our bodies. : Adele Haenel, leaving the congregation during the Cesar ceremony, showed her disagreement with our attitude towards sexual abuse and child abuse another vision of situations. Especially since these are figures to whom we have an attachment because they are famous, they have moved us, they have charisma. They were able to show us things we didn’t necessarily want to see, and because of that, they serve the cause of women in a big way.

I’m sorry I caused a scandal, I wouldn’t do it again

Isabel Demonjo

Serious consequences

How much have the scandals affected the careers of these women?
Scandal always affects a career. I was one of the women who condemned Patrick d’Arvor. Condemning or causing a scandal makes things too difficult for you we don’t hire in the same places, we don’t see you in the same way anymore. But it also takes things forward.After the revelations about PPDA, many women came to see us. There were even men who thanked us. They understood that they suffered unacceptable things and had to condemn them.

What was your most exciting encounter?
I was most moved by meeting Noelle Noblecourt (RTF presenter, she caused a scandal in 1964 because wearing her skirt exposed her knees, Editor’s note) I hunted for her for a long time because I couldn’t find her. I remembered this woman who was fired from her TV job because she was a presenter and she was wearing a miniskirt. As a newspaper man, that was something I always kept in mind. be careful about dressing. I finally found this woman. And when I told her about the miniskirt, Noel Noblecourt replied, “No, but you know that’s not true, don’t you know the real story?” Actually, he was fired because he refused his boss’s advances, which is surprising since he started at the same age and on the same show as Michelle Drucker. maybe he could have had a great career too. The craziest thing was that he had to tell me the name of the man who had made advances to him, even though this man had been dead for ten years. She finally gave me, I didn’t think she would dare. It says a lot about what it is to cause a scandal, to be a woman on television.

These are things that seem normal to us today, but were once scandalous

Cecil Delarue

During these interviews, which anecdotes in particular shocked you?
During the interviews, I discovered the story of Françoise Fabian, who rented an apartment to allow women to have abortions, even though it was illegal at the time.My meeting with Beatrice Dahl was also very moving. At one point I mentioned Virginie Despentes. she started crying, her friendship was so intense.My interview with the tennis player Isabelle Demonjo was also shocking. He told me. “I’m sorry I caused a scandal, if I had to do it again, I wouldn’t do it.” A few days before the interview, he wasn’t feeling well. Because it’s hard to talk about these things every time. All this affects the body. And at the same time, I’m very grateful to him for doing that, because I think he helped us all a lot.

*Scandalousbroadcast on December 20 at 11:30 p.m. to reveal on France TV.