Brussels (Brussels Morning) â Belgian filmmaker Joachim Lafosse faces 12 harassment allegations from female colleagues, rejecting all claims. Accusers describe a toxic work environment, but Lafosse denies intentional harm, citing stress and anxiety.
Belgian film director Joachim Lafosse encounters 12 separate harassment charges from female colleagues, according to the French daily newspaper Libération. Lafosse refutes all allegations.
How Serious Are the Allegations Against Joachim Lafosse?
A fellow of screenwriters, actresses and technicians states that Lafosse harassed colleagues on set during his 20-year employment. He humiliated, criticised and put psychological pressure on others he worked with. Some colleagues also allege a sexualised atmosphere with unwelcome advances, blaming an âexploitative systemâ and a âpredatory patternâ established on set.
Were Joachim Lafosseâs Actions Misunderstood or Intentional?
The inquiry into Lafosse began following the Magritte Awards in 2022 when film editor Sophie Vercruysse drove a speech lamenting that âthe world of cinema, including in Belgium, is all too frequently a world where abuse of power is seen as inherent to the discipline [âŠ] This system must end.â Vercruysse performed with Lafosse on six films and eventually narrated her personal experiences with him to LibĂ©ration, assuring that her remarks at the award ceremony targeted the 49-year-old director.
Lafosseâs activities have become known as the âLafosse Methodâ among those impacted by his behaviour. Belgian actress Virginie Efira, who operated with Lafosse on the film Continuer (2019), indicates that the filming experience was possibly one of the âworstâ of her career. âHe forced me to the limit, but everyone was against him. The producers couldnât handle it any more.â
ValĂ©rie Houdart, an assistant director on the film Ăa rend heureux (2006), had a similar experience. âWe were the last two people operating in the office. Joachim forces me into a corner, between a wall and a door, and smooches me. Mechanically, I respond to this big tongue in my mouth and then run away.â The concerned individuals have not yet lodged an official protest.Â
How Did Joachim Lafosse Respond to the Allegations?
In an emailed response to the allegations, Lafosse conveyed to LibĂ©ration that he ânever intentionally sought to harm or humiliate anyoneâ. He does, however, accept possibly having been âbrusque, overwhelmed and anxiousâ, particularly during his early films.
Lafosse, initially from Uccle, first gained a name for himself in 2001 when his graduation task Tribu was named the best brief film at the Namur Film Festival in 2001. His innovations have since taken in multiple awards, such as Folie PrivĂ©e (his first long-feature film in 2004) and Ăa rend heureux. His next film is due to start shooting this year.
