As the 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival gets underway on Tuesday, 600 professionals from the French film industry, including directors, actors, technicians and producers, have published an inflammatory article in the French newspaper Libération.
In it, they denounce what they describe as the_”tentacular and ideological_” hold ofVincent Bolloré over the French film industry. They warn of a growing concentration of media and cultural power in the hands of the Breton billionaire.
The group, which goes by the name”Zapper Bolloré”, includes actresses Adèle Haenel, Juliette Binoche and Blanche Gardin, actors Swann Arlaud and Jean-Pascal Zadi, photographer and documentary filmmaker Raymond Depardon, and director and screenwriter Arthur Harari.
The 600 signatories point out that the Canal+ group, of which Vincent Bolloré is the main shareholder,“has acquired 34% of the capital of UGC, the third largest cinema network (there are 521 in France – Euronews), with the firm intention of acquiring 100% of the shares by the end of 2028 “.
In their view, this transaction would enable Vincent Bolloré to considerably strengthen his influence in the sector, to the point where he_”would be in a position to control the entire film production chain, from financing to distribution on the big and small screens_ “.
Canal+ also occupies a key position in the financing of French cinema, being one of its main investors. Over the period 2025-2027, Canal+ has committed to investing a minimum of €480 million in the sector.
For many producers, distributors and exhibitors, it has therefore become almost impossible to mount certain film projects without the financial support of the group.
A disturbing ideology
The signatories also believe that behind his image as a businessman, the billionaire is first and foremost taking on a_”civilisational project_ “, which they describe as_”reactionary and far-right, carried out through his television channels such as CNews and his publishing houses._”
“We are not just risking a standardisation of films, but a fascist takeover of the collective imagination”, they write.
They add that_”while the influence of this ideological offensive on the content of films has been discreet for the moment, we are under no illusions: it will not last_ “, and call for “building together a movement capable of defending independence”.
It’s no coincidence that Vincent Bolloré is speaking out today. By choosing the Cannes Film Festival, an international showcase for the cinema, where creativity is celebrated, the authors of the statement intend to make a lasting impression and above all to take advantage of the presence of numerous journalists from all over the world.
In their view, the artistic freedom so dear to the festival is also in danger. They fear that, in the long term, French cinema will become more an instrument of cultural influence than a genuine space for artistic freedom. And those fears are not confined to the cinema.
Grasset: when foreign writers rise up
Since April, the Grasset publishing house has been going through an unprecedented crisis following the dismissal of its CEO, Olivier Nora, after more than 25 years, and his replacement by Jean-Christophe Thiery, a loyal follower of the billionaire.
The conflict is said to have centred on the publication of La Légende, the latest book by Boualem Sansal, which the management of Hachette (Grasset’s parent company) wanted to rush through against the advice of the historic publisher. What could have been a mere office squabble turned into a mass exodus.
After the departure of more than 200 French authors, including names such as Virginie Despentes, Dan Franck, Gaël Faye, Bernard-Henry Levy and Sorj Chalandon, it is now the turn of the international scene to join forces.
In a joint statement published on 11 May, the majority of foreign authors in the Grasset catalogue announced that they would no longer submit their future manuscripts to the publisher. This solidarity marks a turning point.
“As authors published on the international list of Éditions Grasset, we are expressing our deep concern about the future of this publishing house, its editorial integrity, and the teams that bring it to life”, say these authors in the text.
“We refuse to allow our work to be used for political ends that we do not share. The extreme right acts beyond borders; it must be fought beyond borders. Under these conditions, we will not submit our next works to Éditions Grasset”, they wrote.
For these American, British, Italian and South Korean writers, such as Han Kang, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2024, Grasset_”represented a certain idea of French cultural exceptionalism and editorial independence_”.
Vincent Bolloré deaf to criticism
Is Bolloré’s influence on the cultural sector now irresistible, or still questionable?
The_”din of a “small caste that believes itself above everything and everyone”_, denounced on 19 April by Vincent Bolloré in the columns of one of his publications, the Journal du Dimanche, appears in reality to be the rallying cry of an industry that feels under pressure from a major provider of capital.
And even if he says he wants to continue along this path, the risk for the Bolloré empire is that it will find itself at the head of prestigious structures that have been emptied of their substance: publishing houses without renowned writers.