Accused of rape, director Samuel Theis, also actor in the multi-award winning film Anatomy of a fallcalled on Tuesday to respect his “presumption of innocence”.
According to Teleramathe facts would have occurred during the filming, in the summer of 2023, of the film I swearwith Louise Bourgoin and Marina Foïs: sexual intercourse would have been imposed by Samuel Theis on a 27-year-old technician, even though the latter would not have been able to express his consent or refusal.
Requested by AFP, Samuel Theis, 45 years old, director of Party Girl in 2013 and Small type in 2021, admits to having “had consensual oral sex” with the complainant the day after a party organized on the set.
A few days after the events, the technician expressed – by SMS – his discomfort to the director, telling him that he had the impression of having been the victim of a “sexual assault”.
The victim left the set a few days later, in agreement with the production. Which had, after the events, put in place an unusual confinement protocol for the filmmaker, who had been physically separated from his team, completing his filming remotely.
Complaints and investigations
A complaint was filed at the end of July and a preliminary investigation is underway, the public prosecutor in Metz told AFP. A complaint with a civil party was also filed in mid-November, he added.
For his part, Samuel Theis published a press release specifying that this investigation of several months had concluded that there was “a lack of conclusive elements” and had not determined “any element likely to characterize misconduct”.
At this time, the director has not been heard by the courts and says he learned of the complaint through the press.