Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+, confirmed on Friday that he stood by his reaction to the anti-Bolloré op-ed published in mid-May by film industry professionals. Questioned at the Canal+ general meeting, he stated that the group no longer wished to finance certain projects championed by signatories of the text, while rejecting the idea of a "Blacklist".
"If someone rang your doorbell, called you a fascist, and then asked you for money, maybe you wouldn't give them money. We're going to do exactly the same thing.""The executive stated. He specified that Canal+ would integrate, in addition to the criteria..." "artistic" et " commercial ", a new dimension in the study of funding applications: the consideration given to the group by the people who are leading the project.
"I obviously never mentioned a blacklist."
Maxime Saada, however, assured that the intention was not to target individually all the professionals who had signed the petition. "We have no intention of going after the technicians who signed the petition and ceasing to fund the films they work on.", did he declare.
According to him, the issue is not freedom of expression, but the "harm caused to Canal+"The executive cited criticisms associating Canal+ with a "fascist vision of the collective imagination" and the booing aimed at the channel's logo during certain screenings at the Cannes Film Festival as attacks on the group's reputation.
An opinion piece published before Cannes
The controversy stemmed from an opinion piece published in Libération by the "Zapper Bolloré" collective. The text denounced Vincent Bolloré's growing influence in French cinema and expressed particular concern about Canal+'s increasing stake in UGC. The piece had approximately 600 signatories at the time of publication, including several prominent figures in the film industry such as Juliette Binoche, Swann Arlaud, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Blanche Gardin, Adèle Haenel, and Arthur Harari.
The text specifically targeted Canal+'s acquisition of 34% of UGC's capital, with a prospect of total takeover from 2028. The signatories saw this as a risk of concentration in the film industry chain, from production to distribution, including theatrical exhibition.
A first response in Cannes
On May 17, during the Cannes Film Festival, Maxime Saada had already responded to the open letter during an event organized by Canal+. He stated that he no longer wished for Canal+ to work with the signatories of the petition, considering it an injustice to the group's staff. These remarks provoked reactions within the film industry, where Canal+ plays a central role in financing French films. The group is regularly presented as the leading financier of French cinema. According to Télérama, Canal+ has committed to investing €160 million in 2026 and €170 million in 2027 in French cinema, following €150 million in 2025.
The LDH and the CGT Spectacle union are taking legal action.
The League of Human Rights and the CGT Spectacle union have announced legal action against Canal+ in the Nanterre court. The two organizations denounce discrimination against the signatories of the open letter, which they claim is based on political and union affiliation. They are asking the court to prohibit any exclusionary measures, refusals to collaborate, or discrimination related to this signature. The plaintiffs are also considering an appeal to the European Commission to denounce what they describe as..."abuse of economic dependence" of Canal+ in the film sector.
The Minister of Culture calls for dialogue
The Minister of Culture, Catherine Pégard, reacted to the controversy by expressing regret over Maxime Saada's remarks. She called for a change in approach. "Reason and dialogue" These measures prevail over threats, amidst tensions between a segment of the film industry, Canal+, and the group's main shareholder, Vincent Bolloré. For his part, Maxime Saada defended Vincent Bolloré's role in Canal+'s turnaround, stating that the group had previously been losing €400 million in France. He also pointed out that Canal+, which became an independent entity after the Vivendi split at the end of 2024, was not controlled by the Bolloré group, even though the latter remains its main shareholder.
