Maxime Saada, head of Canal+, announced Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival that the group would no longer work with the roughly 600 film professionals who signed a petition against Vincent Bolloré.
The decision follows the publication of an open letter in Libération accusing Canal+ majority shareholder Vincent Bolloré of pursuing a reactionary civilizational project. Saada described the petition as an injustice toward the channel's teams, who he said defend editorial independence and diversity.
"I have no desire to work with people who call us crypto-fascists," he stated on the sidelines of the festival. He also reaffirmed Canal+'s support for the CNC and Mediawan while stressing the need for higher investment in French cinema.
Signatories include Juliette Binoche, Raymond Depardon and Adèle Haenel. The "Zapper Bolloré" collective had denounced growing far-right influence in the sector through Bolloré.
