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Legendary Italian filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli accused of sexual assault

An American actor has accused the Italian director Franco Zeffirelli of sexually assaulting him when they worked together in the 1990s, prompting a fierce rebuttal from the filmmaker’s son.

Published: 12 January 2018 16:19 CET
Legendary Italian filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli accused of sexual assault
Franco Zeffirelli in 2004. Photo: Paolo Cocco/AFP

According to Johnathon Schaech, who acted in Zeffirelli’s 1993 film Storia di una capinera (Sparrow), the director spent weeks persistently attempting to “seduce” him during the shoot in southern Italy, one night letting himself into the 22-year-old actor’s hotel room.

In an account for People magazine, Schaech claims that there Zeffirelli groped him and attempted to perform oral sex without his consent.

Zeffirelli, who is 94, has not commented on the allegations but his son released a statement saying that they were not true.

Pippo Corsi Zeffirelli accused Schaech of mounting “a true and proper vendetta” against the director, who ended up getting another actor to dub Schaech’s lines when his performance was marred by throat problems during the shoot.

Zeffirelli’s son also dismissed Schaech’s account of suffering psychological problems after the alleged assault, saying that the actor had chosen to keep in touch with the family occasionally over the years, most recently in December 2017.

It is not the first time that the Italian film industry has been caught up in the wave of allegations prompted by accounts of sexual harassment in Hollywood. Italian actress and director Asia Argento was one of the first women to publicly accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of misconduct, while ten women subsequently accused filmmaker Fausto Brizzi of harassment and assault. Another director, Giuseppe Tornatore, was accused of groping a female performer in his office.

All three men deny the allegations.

Meanwhile Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi – the former prime minister once tried on charges of having sex with an underage prostitute – joined the backlash against the #MeToo movement encouraging women to denounce sexual impropriety, agreeing with French actress Catherine Deneuve that men should feel free to “court” women. 

Zeffirelli, who turned to politics after his career in entertainment and represented Berlusconi's party in the senate, is now rarely seen in public. According to his son, the Oscar-winning director's health is too poor to allow him to answer or even understand Schaech's allegations.

FILM

French films with English subtitles to watch in November

As days get shorter and temperatures drop, November is a great month to enjoy a warm and comforting moment at the cinema. Here’s a round up of the French movies with English subtitles to see in Paris this month.

Published: 4 November 2021 11:13 CET
Cinema in France
Photo: Loic Venance/AFP

The cinema group Lost in Frenchlation runs regular screenings of French films in the capital, with English subtitles to help non-native speakers follow the action. The club kicks off every screening with drinks at the cinema’s bar one hour before the movie, so it’s also a fun way to meet people if you’re new to Paris.

These are the events they have coming up in November.

Friday, November 5th

Boîte Noire – What happened on board the Dubai-Paris flight before it crashed in the Alps? In this thriller Matthieu, a young and talented black box analyst played by Pierre Niney (star of Yves Saint-Laurent among other movies) is determined to solve the reason behind this deadly crash, no matter the costs. 

The screening will take place at the Club de l’étoile cinema at 8pm. But you can arrive early for drinks at the bar from 7pm. 

Tickets are €10 full price, €8 for students and all other concessions, and can be reserved here.

Sunday, November 14th

Tralala – In the mood for music? This new delightful French musical brings you into the life of Tralala (played by Mathieu Amalric), a 48 years old, homeless and worn-out street singer, who one day gets mistaken for someone else. Tralala sees an opportunity to get a better life by taking on a new personality. He now has a brother, nephews, ex-girlfriends, and maybe even a daughter. But where is the lie? Where is the truth? And who is he, deep down?

The night will start with drinks from 6pm followed by the screening at 7pm at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema. There is also a two-hour cinema-themed walk where you’ll be taken on a “musicals movie tour” in the heart of Paris, which begins at 4pm.

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. Tickets for the walking tour cost €20 and must be reserved online here.

Thursday, November 18th

Illusions Perdues – Based on the great novel series by Honoré de Balzac between 1837 and 1843, this historical drama captures the writer Lucien’s life and dilemmas who dreams about a great career of writing and moves to the city to get a job at a newspaper. As a young poet entering the field of journalism, he is constantly challenged by his desire to write dramatic and eye-catching stories for the press. But are they all true?

The evening will kick off with drinks at L’Entrepôt cinema bar at 7pm, followed by the movie screening at 8pm. Tickets are available online here, and cost €8.50 full price; €7 for students and all other concessions.

Sunday, November 21st

Eiffel – Having just finished working on the Statue of Liberty, Gustave Eiffel (played by Romain Duris) is tasked with creating a spectacular monument for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris. It’s ultimately his love story with Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey) that will inspire him to come up with the idea for the Eiffel Tower.

After a first screening last month, Lost in Frenchlation is organising a new one at the Luminor Hôtel de Ville cinema, with pre-screening drinks at the cinema bar. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here. 

Thursday, November 25th

Les Héroïques – Michel is a former junkie and overgrown child who only dreams of motorbikes and of hanging out with his 17-year-old son Léo and his friends. But at 50 years old, he now has to handle the baby he just had with his ex, and try not to make the same mistakes he has done in the past. 

The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director Maxime Roy who will discuss his very first feature. 

Tickets cost €10, or €8 for students and concessions, and can be found here.

Full details of Lost in Frenchlation’s events can be found on their website or Facebook page. In France, a health pass is required in order to go to the cinema.

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