The idea came weeks after allegations were raised against Spanish filmmakers Carlos Vermut and Armando Ravello. Vermuth was accused of sexual assault and Ravello was accused of making sexual advances toward a minor.
advertisementLately, the first #MeToo incident in Spanish cinema has been gaining traction.
The organization that has been causing a stir lately is Spain’s Ministry of Culture, which announced the creation of a department for “awareness and prevention of gender-based violence in the cultural sector.”
The announcement comes after the country’s film industry was criticized for being very cautious in its statements on sexual assault allegations and for its initial silence and contradictions. Film director Carlos VermutHowever, the industry also served as a platform for speaking out against issues such as war and forced evictions.
It was just last Saturday goya award The industry’s most important gala marks Spanish cinema at its most reactionary period.
“I want to tell the victims that they are not alone. (Sexual violence) is over,” said actress and singer Ana Belen, one of the gala’s presenters.
Last month, Spanish director Vermut, who won San Sebastian’s Golden Shell Award for Magical Girls, was accused of sexual assault by two women, one working in the audiovisual industry and one a film student.
In an investigative report published by El Pais, the women accused the director of using his fame and position in the film industry to engage in violent, non-consensual sexual relations.
One of the women claimed that she was strangled by the Spanish coach and that she only felt something was wrong at the time, but later realized that she had been sexually assaulted.
What will change with the new unit on gender violence?
“We must be acutely aware that we are talking about structural violence that requires the involvement of everyone, including public authorities,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at the Goya Prize ceremony.
Little is known about the structure of this new unit to combat male violence, the budget allocated to it, and the experts who will compose it.
All that is known is that Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun has made it clear that he “supports any condemnation of sexual abuse and all forms of male violence.”
“We have to respond to a very serious problem,” Urtasun told Spanish media.
The purpose of this department is twofold. One, to support victims of gender-based violence in this sector, and two, a report to identify what is wrong in this sector, in order to advise women working in this sector. is to create.
A statement released by the ministry itself said: “Culture is intended to be a safe space for all women.”
The cabinet also promised to help women who have not reported their situations to the police, such as the three who accused film director Carlos Vermut in El Pais.
Euronews Culture contacted the Ministry of Culture for further details about the unit and the planned launch date, but did not receive a response.
Armando Ravello acknowledged his “unethical behavior” and called on men to “review their actions”, knowing it would end his career.