Director Michael Haneke is the latest figure in European cinema to criticize the #MeToo movement. Speaking to Austrian publication Kurier (per The Hollywood Reporter) the Amour filmmaker claimed that the movement — which was started in response to dozens of women in Hollywood coming forward with sexual-harassment and assault accusations — is ushering in an age of “puritanism.â€
“This new puritanism colored by a hatred of men, arriving on the heels of the #MeToo movement, worries me,†Haneke reportedly told Kurier. He added, “As artists, we’re starting to be fearful since we’re faced with this crusade against any form of eroticism.â€
According to Deadline, Haneke also compared the onslaught of accusations to a “witch hunt.†After saying that those guilty of assault should be punished and condemned, he explained, “But this hysterical pre-judgment which is spreading now, I find absolutely disgusting. And I don’t want to know how many of these accusations related to incidents 20 or 30 years ago are primarily statements that have little to do with sexual assault.â€
Haneke’s remarks come about a month after more than 100 Frenchwomen, including actress Catherine Deneuve, signed an open letter criticizing #MeToo and the French equivalent #BalanceTonPorc. Deneuve explained her reason for signing the letter, similarly citing how quickly studios and production companies have distanced themselves from those who are publicly accused. “I don’t excuse anything. I don’t decide the guilt of these men because I am not qualified to do so,†Deneuve said.