An open letter denouncing the influence of conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré over French cinema has gained international momentum, with Spanish actor Javier Bardem, British director Ken Loach, and American actor Mark Ruffalo among the latest signatories. The collective "Zapper Bolloré" announced the additions on Thursday, bringing the total to nearly 3,500 film professionals.
The letter, first published during the Cannes Film Festival, warns of what it calls Bolloré's "tentacular, ideological hold" over the French film industry. It criticizes the growing concentration of media and cultural power in the hands of the Breton billionaire, who controls Canal+, the Hachette publishing group, and other major outlets.
From 600 to 3,460: How a Controversy Snowballed
The petition's rapid growth followed a statement by Canal+ president Maxime Saada, who said he no longer wanted to work with the signatories. Saada's comments, made during the Cannes festival, sparked widespread concern about threats to freedom of expression. Actor Alain Chabat, a key figure in Canal+'s creative history, described Saada's response as a "two-bit pressure tactic" in an interview with AFP. "There were plenty of ways of responding to this thing," Chabat said, "but from there to adding this two-bit pressure tactic on people who are expressing an opinion, or at any rate who have a concern, legitimate or not…"
Jonathan Cohen, who stars alongside Chabat in Quentin Dupieux's Vertige, told AFP he "understood the legitimate fear" of the signatories. Cohen, who co-directed the Canal+ series La Flamme, praised the network's teams for protecting creative diversity, but acknowledged the broader unease.
The new signatories include not only Hollywood figures but also directors Annemarie Jacir (Palestine), Aki Kaurismäki (Finland), Yorgos Lanthimos (Greece), and Walter Salles (Brazil). None are French, underscoring the international dimension of the protest.
Bolloré's Cultural Empire
Vincent Bolloré's holdings span music, publishing, television, and advertising. His group manages an equity portfolio worth €10.6 billion as of December 2025, including 18.4% of Universal Music Group, 30.4% of Canal+, 30.4% of Louis Hachette Group, and 30.4% of Havas. Canal+ has committed to investing €160 million in French cinema in 2026 and €170 million in 2027, down from €220 million in previous years.
The publishing world has also been in turmoil. In April, more than 100 authors left Grasset after the dismissal of its chairman Olivier Nora, accusing Bolloré of "imposing authoritarianism everywhere in culture and the media." Subsequently, over 300 writers, led by Leïla Slimani, Virginie Despentes, and Emmanuel Carrère, called for a "conscience clause" to protect authors from political interference. Bolloré, a devout Catholic, dismissed the uproar as the work of "a small caste that thinks it is above everything and everyone."
The controversy highlights broader tensions in European media landscapes, where a handful of billionaires increasingly control cultural production. As the petition continues to grow, it raises questions about the balance between private ownership and creative freedom across the continent.
