Brigitte Bardot’s tribute at Cesar Awards ceremony greeted with boos | film

Brigitte Bardot’s tribute at Cesar, France’s version of the Oscars, on Thursday was met with boos. In a video clip posted on social media, boos can be clearly heard among the applause and tributes, and shouts of “racist!” Also audible.

Bardot, who died in December at the age of 91, became the most famous figure in post-World War II French cinema for films such as “And God Created Woman” and “Contempt,” but after retiring from acting in the early 1970s, her final years were marred by increasing political activism on the far right, leading to a series of convictions for inciting racial hatred.

The mixed nature of Bardot’s legacy was made clear by musician Chappelle Rowan deleting a tribute to the actress on social media in the wake of her death, writing, “Oh my god, I didn’t know all this crazy bullshit Ms. Bardot stood for. I don’t condone this. It’s very disappointing to learn.”

While Bardot was celebrated for her “sex kitten” image in the 1950s and 1960s, she turned to animal rights activism after her retirement before becoming increasingly outspoken on political issues. Her 2003 book, A Cry in Silence, targeted gays and lesbians, school teachers, and the so-called “Islamization of French society.” French courts imposed fines on her several times for racist and homophobic comments, especially those targeting the Muslim community in France.

It’s no surprise that César Awards have been protested, with recent examples being Corinne Masiero’s “Naked” show in 2021 and withdrawal in 2020 after Roman Polanski won the Best Director César.

The family drama The Ties That Bind Us, directed by Karen Tardieu, won the César for Best Picture, and Richard Linklater won Best Director for Nouvelle Vague, a film about the making of Godard’s Breathless.