In Sois belle et tais-toi! (1975/6), French actress and feminist video activist Delphine Seyrig interviews 24 actresses from the U.S. and France. For some, it is the first time they speak openly about their experiences in a male-dominated film industry — among them the French actress Maria Schneider. In 1972, Schneider became known for her role in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, in which, at the age of 19, she was coerced into performing a violent sex scene with 47-year-old Marlon Brando. Schneider spoke out repeatedly about the sexual abuse — no one listened.
This lecture explores historical and contemporary representations of sexualized violence.