A tribute to Brigitte Bardot at the Césars, France’s version of the Oscars, on Thursday was greeted with boos. In a video clip posted on social media, boos can clearly be heard among the applause as the tributes, and a shout of “racist!” is also audible.
Bardot, who died in December aged 91, became arguably the most celebrated figure in postwar French cinema for films such as And God Created Woman and Contempt, but after quitting acting in the early 1970s her later years were marred by increasing political activity on the far right, resulting in a string of convictions for inciting racial hatred.
The mixed nature of Bardot’s legacy was illustrated by musician Chappell Roan deleting a social media tribute to the actor in the wake of her death, writing “Holy shit I did not know all that insane shit Ms Bardot stood for. I do not condone this. Very disappointing to learn.”
While celebrated for her “sex kitten” image in the 1950s and 60s, Bardot turned to animal rights activism after her retirement before becoming increasingly vocal on political issues. Her 2003 book A Cry in the Silence took aim at gay men and lesbians, schoolteachers and the so-called “Islamisation of French society”. French courts fined her multiple times for racist and homophobic comments, particularly those targeting France’s Muslim community.
The César awards are no strangers to protest, with recent examples being Corinne Masiero’s “naked” stunt in 2021 and a walkout in 2020 after Roman Polanski won the best director César.
Family drama The Ties That Bind Us, directed by Carine Tardieu, won the César for best film, and Richard Linklater won best director for Nouvelle Vague, his film about the making of Godard’s Breathless.
