Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
This Oscar-nominated film director and screenwriter has been accused of sexually abusing eight women at film festivals including Cannes.
Ciro Guerra, 39, was accused of abusing eight women between 2013 and November 2019 by journalists Catalina Ruiz-Navarro and Matilde de los Milagros Lodono in an investigation for the online news site ‘Volcanicas’, which specialises in journalism focused on feminism.
According to the journalists’ investigation, Guerra used his physical strength and his position in the cinema industry to sexually abuse women by inviting them to meetings in hotels or flats and then abusing them while they were alone.
The abuse reportedly happened during important events in the cinema industry including the Cannes Film Festival, the Colombian Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Cartagena.
The last alleged abuse was revealed by a woman who declined to have her real name published and was only named as Adriana in the investigation.
Adriana alleged that she was invited to the director’s flat in November 2019 where he abused her sexually.
Adriana said: “The guy started to pull down his trousers and he said: ‘I just want to see, let me see’ and I said: ‘No, please, really, I do not want it any more.’
“He then pushed me into the bedroom, I was almost on automatic pilot and in my underwear and he said: ‘Only a moment, I am not dull Hector (her boyfriend’s nickname).’ I said: ‘Please no.’”
Local media report none of the women mentioned in the investigation report have given their real names and none of them have taken legal actions against the director because they do not want to be victimised.
Guerra has reportedly denied the accusations and said he would take legal actions against them to protect his honour.
The Colombian director’s film ‘Embrace of the Serpent’ (2015) was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards in 2016.
He also directed the film ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ in September 2019 starring Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson.
