The Cannes Film Festival is an opportunity for Grenier Avocats to take a legal and insurance look at a subject often relegated to the background: sexist and sexual violence (SGBV) on film sets. The film industry may shine on the red carpets, but it’s not without its shadows. Insurance can – and must! – play a driving role in changing practices.
Since 2021, a specific clause offered by certain insurers enables productions to cover up to 500,000 euros of losses linked to temporary stoppage of filming, in the event of proven acts of sexual harassment or assault. This clause, integrated into insurance contracts at no extra cost, represents a significant step forward: it reconciles the protection of victims, the responsibility of producers, and the economic continuity of production.
But in practice, this coverage has never been mobilized. Why not? Because its activation is subject to strict conditions: the victim must lodge a complaint, the producer must report the case to the public prosecutor, and a key member of the film crew (lead actor, director, etc.) must be directly involved. In an industry where job insecurity and power relations all too often discourage victims from speaking out, these are the barriers that slow down the use of the system.
Today, only 50% of insurance contracts for film production include this clause. Some producers even prefer to take out their policies abroad, notably in Belgium, attracted by more advantageous tax arrangements. This heterogeneity hinders the construction of a universal protective framework.
In view of these limitations, several recommendations are currently being debated by the French National Assembly: allow a witness to lodge a complaint to trigger the clause, include VHSS among the mandatory risks to qualify for CNC subsidies, or extend this type of coverage to all cultural productions (performing arts, audiovisual, etc.).
At Grenier Avocats, we are convinced that insurance, far from being a simple risk management tool, can be an ethical and structural lever for transforming practices. Cannes, this month, reminds us that behind every film, there are teams, human beings – and that guaranteeing their safety is also a matter of law and responsibility.
Further information : Tome I – Rapport – 17e législature – Assemblée nationale