About 250 shocked and nauseous guests on Friday walked out of the official screening of Cannes Film Festival French entry ”Irreversible” which features an explicit 10-minute rape scene.
Around 20 people, mostly women, were sick and some needed oxygen while more than 200 of the 2 400 spectators walked out halfway through the screening of Gaspar Noe’s film. But most of those who stayed gave it a five-minute standing ovation.
A fire brigade representative who gave his name as Lieutenant General Courtel said: ”In 25 years in my job I’ve never seen this at the Cannes Festival. The scenes in this film are unbearable, even for us professionals”.
The screening was attended by Italian actress Monica Bellucci who plays the rape victim, along with leading actors Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel. The film is in competition for the Golden Palm award, to be handed out Sunday.
Several of the women who walked out said they were angry that the film, with its scenes of extreme and explicit violence, had been selected for festival.
But Pierre Lescure, former president of Canal Plus which co-produced ”Irreversible,” described it as ”a magnificent film”.
Cinema personalities attended the screening, the first in the festival to take place at midnight. The film was released on Friday in France to audiences over the age of 16. – Sapa-AFP