Gerard Depardieu will not just be facing two women who accuse him of sexual assault when he walks into a Paris courtroom on Monday.
France’s most famous male actor will also be confronting a nation long criticised for failing to address sexual violence — particularly when committed by its most powerful figures.
Depardieu, 76, is accused of assaulting a set dresser and an assistant director during the 2021 filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).
While more than 20 women have publicly accused him of sexual misconduct, this is the first time one of those cases has gone to trial.
It is also the most prominent post-MeToo case in France, testing whether a country famed for…