Last year, the Cannes Film Festival shrugged off protests by womens rights groups to open with Mawenns Jeanne du Barry, a period movie starring alleged abuser Johnny Depp as the king of France.

A year and a mini-#MeToo revolution later, Cannes has picked Moi Aussi (Me Too), a short film by French actress turned activist and filmmaker Judith Godrche to open its Un Certain Regard sidebar.

Best known in the U.S. for the Oscar-nominated Ridicule (1996) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Godrche became a key figure in Frances #MeToo movement after she accused acclaimed directors Benot Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both men have denied the claims. The allegations, and Godrches standing as one of Frances best-known actresses and a beloved former child star, helped bring #MeToo back into the spotlight in France. Her many public appearances she took the stage at the Csars, Frances equivalent of the Oscars, in February to call the French film industry an incestuous family, and has addressed Frances Parliament and the Senate on the issue have put pressure on the French industry to change. As a result, last week, legislators agreed to launch a government inquiry into sexual and gender-based violence across the countrys film, audiovisual, performing arts, advertising and fashion sectors.

Godrches film features victims of sexual abuse who contacted the actress after she spoke up and made her Instagram public, calling for others to share their stories. Some 6,000 people replied.

Suddenly, before me was a crowd of victims, a reality that also represented France, so many stories from all social backgrounds and generations, Godrche said. Then the question was, what I was going to do with them? What do you do when youre overwhelmed by what you hear, by the sheer volume of testimonies?

Godrche asked them to gather on a street in Paris for a performance piece led by her daughter, the actress and dancer Tess Barthlemy. Around 1,000 people came. Godrche collected audio testimony from victims recounting their abuse, which she has constructed into a fragmented soundtrack.

Moi Aussi will premiere ahead of the Un Certain Regard opening ceremony, as well as at the open air Cinma de la Plage free of charge for the public on May 15.

The 2024 Cannes film festival runs May 14-25.