The end of the culture of silence?Spain’s first MeToo scandal penetrates the film industry

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On January 21st, a large part of the Spanish film industry gathered for one of the industry’s most important events: the Ferros Awards. Actresses, actors, directors, and all those invited to the gala walked the red carpet with great excitement.

The bitter shadow of Spain’s first MeToo incident was casting a shadow over them.

Just a few hours ago, El Pais newspaper published an investigation in which three women accused San Sebastian’s Golden Shell-winning Spanish director Carlos Vermut. Magical girl (2014), on sexual violence.

In recent years, the director has become an indispensable figure in Spanish film, an unknown voice known for his originality. This revelation therefore surprised everyone present at the ceremony.

Some strongly condemned Vermut’s actions, while others avoided the issue.

Until then, Spanish cinema had been shrouded in silence. There were many rumors of sexual abuse and reprehensible behavior within the industry, but few actresses spoke out.

Christina Andrew, president of the Women’s Film Makers Association, described it as “a small industry where fear wins.”

until now.

Between May 2014 and February 2022, three women, a film student, a production company employee, and a culture department employee, told El Pais that they had violent sexual relationships with director Vermut, but that they did not consent. I reported it.

The women did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation in the industry and never filed charges.

The first testimonies date back to 2014. Carlos Vermut had just been nominated for his festival in San Sebastian and was about to become a big name in the industry. The woman worked at a production company and her boss was a friend of Vermuth’s.

She met a famous director at a party and after they flirted, they went home together. “He admits, with some embarrassment, that he was impressed that Vermut noticed me. I had a lot of respect for him,” the woman told El Pais.

“When we got to the door, he gave me the most beautiful, gentle kiss, and I told him to come upstairs,” she added.

That’s when everything went wrong. The woman said her supervisor jumped on her and began choking her. She tried to kick him and shove him away. He stopped and told her he didn’t deserve that. She was completely confused and even though she said she was sorry, he continued to be violent.

She reported that she was scared and didn’t know what to do.

The woman said she only knew something was wrong at the time, but it was only later that she realized she had been sexually assaulted.

She had “genital wounds” and friends advised her to go to the hospital and the police, but she did not denounce the director for fear of his reputation and retribution at work.

Vermuth defended herself against these charges, insisting that she had always engaged in rough but consensual sex. He has admitted to strangling people during sex, but it was always consensual.

The woman claims that they had other sporadic sexual relationships some time after this first encounter, but they were less violent.

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Two other testimonies were also revealed. One came from a 21-year-old student who met Vermut through a lecture he gave at a university, and the other came from a woman who worked on the director’s film production staff.

The student claims that after months of exchanging messages and phone calls, the director asked him for advice on one of his scripts. One day, he invited her to watch her own movie at her home so that he could analyze it with her. That’s when he jumped on her and ripped her bra off.

She froze, and Bermut stopped and insisted that she leave the house. they never met again.

A third woman who accused the director insists there was never any talk of a violent sexual relationship between them. “I remember a situation where he pressed my head very hard against him until I threw up, all of which was accompanied by vulgar language and physical expressions,” she told El Pais. Ta.

In response to questions from the paper, Vermut said she may have been afraid the women would tell her to stop because the man was “twice their size” and that she didn’t want to say anything that would make the situation worse. He admitted that he might have been afraid.

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The Spanish film industry initially reacted cautiously to the accusations, but as the weeks passed, the voices condemning them grew louder.

Last Sunday, two weeks after publication, the entire film industry gathered in Barcelona for the Gaudi Prize ceremony. Here, some female directors spoke louder and more clearly.

“We need a paradigm shift, to know that there are limits and that we need to set them,” said Pilar Palomero, a Spanish film director and author.

The message of “full support for the victims” was unanimous among those in attendance, but there were few voices condemning Vermut’s actions. The industry remains “cautious.”

While Vermut defended his actions, fellow Spanish director Armando Ravello announced he was ending his career and called on men to “review their actions”.

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After Bermut’s publication, several women took to social media to accuse Ravello of making sexual advances to minors. He acknowledged his “unethical behavior” and said he understood this was the end of his career.

But that was it.

Many are wondering why the earthquake caused by MeToo in the United States has taken the form of quicksand in the Spanish version, with few voices of condemnation and those that do exist drowned out by the “cautiousness” of the industry. I’m wondering.

Is it a recognition that no testimony has yet come to light about someone as despicable as former movie producer Harvey Weinstein? Or is it a culture of silence imposed by a still male-dominated industry?

While it is true that reprehensible actions and statements are gradually becoming the norm, the general idea of ​​”remaining silent to avoid making the situation even more unpleasant” remains the norm in the southern European country.

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