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Frédéric Mitterrand

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Frédéric Mitterrand
Mitterrand in 2010
Minister of Culture and Communication
In office
23 June 2009 – 16 May 2012
Prime MinisterFrançois Fillon
Preceded byChristine Albanel
Succeeded byAurélie Filippetti
Personal details
Born(1947-08-21)21 August 1947
Paris, France
Died21 March 2024(2024-03-21) (aged 76)
Paris, France
Relatives
Alma materSciences Po

Frédéric Mitterrand (21 August 1947 – 21 March 2024) was a French actor, screenwriter, producer, and politician who served as Minister of Culture and Communication of France from 2009 to 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Early life and career

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Born in Paris, he was the nephew of François Mitterrand (1916–1996), who was the president of France from 1981 to 1995, and the son of engineer Robert Mitterrand[1] (1915–2002) and Édith Cahier, the niece of Eugène Deloncle, the co-founder of "La Cagoule".[citation needed] Owing to his family heritage, Mitterrand acquired Tunisian citizenship in 1995.[2] He was openly bisexual.

Mitterrand attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly in Paris and studied history and geography at the Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, and political science at Sciences Po. He taught economics, history, and geography at EABJM from 1968 to 1971. In 1978, he was a film critic at J'informe. From 1971 to 1986, he ran several art film cinemas in Paris (Olympic Palace, Entrepôt, and Olympic-Entrepôt).[3] He also had roles in a number of films, and in the 1980s was active as a producer and director in TV productions.[citation needed] Mitterrand also penned a monthly column for Têtu.[4]

In June 2008, Mitterrand was appointed the director of the French Academy in Rome by President Nicolas Sarkozy,[5] and was appointed to the French government a year later as the Minister of Culture and Communications,[6] a role he would hold for the remainder of Sarkozy's time in office.[7]

Controversy surrounding The Bad Life

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Mitterrand's novel The Bad Life (French: La mauvaise vie), which mixed autobiographical and fictionalised elements, was the source of significant controversy. In the book he detailed his "delight" whilst visiting the male brothels of Bangkok, and wrote ..."I got into the habit of paying for boys ... The profusion of young, very attractive and immediately available boys put me in a state of desire I no longer needed to restrain or hide." Mitterrand's writings were applauded for their honesty at time of release, but resurfaced in a different light four years later following his defence of Roman Polanski, who had been detained in Switzerland and awaiting extradition to face American charges for sexually abusing a minor.[8]

On 5 October 2009, Marine Le Pen quoted sections of the book on French television, accusing him of having sex with underage boys and engaging in "sex tourism", demanding that Mitterrand resign from the government. He was also criticised by then-Socialist Party spokesman Benoît Hamon, who stated that "as a minister of culture, he has drawn attention to himself by defending [Polanski], and he has written a book where he said he took advantage of sexual tourism. To say the least, I find it shocking."[9] On the other hand, he received support from a close aide to Nicolas Sarkozy who said the French President backed his Culture Minister, describing the controversy around him as "pathetic".[10]

The novel's mixture of fact and fiction complicated his defense; while Mitterrand insisted that book was not an autobiography, the publisher described it as a "novel inspired by autobiography", and was similarly described as an "autobiographical novel" by the BBC.[1][11][12] In his own defence. Mitterrand stated, "Each time I was with people who were my age, or who were five years younger – there wasn't the slightest ambiguity – and who were consenting", and that he uses the term "boys" loosely, both in his life and in the book. He also declared, "I condemn sexual tourism, which is a disgrace. I condemn paedophilia, which I have never in any way participated in."[13]

Death

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Following a year-long illness, Frédéric Mitterrand died from cancer on 21 March 2024, at the age of 76.[14][15]

Filmography

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Mitterrand (left) at a 1990 film shoot
Actor
Director
  • 1981: Lettres d'amour en Somalie
  • 1984: Paris vu par… vingt ans plus tard
  • 1995: Madame Butterfly, adaption of the Puccini opera
Producer
  • Les Aigles foudroyés, documentary
  • Mémoires d'exil, documentary
  • Fairouz, documentary, 1998
  • Je suis la Folle de Brejnev, 2001
  • FARAH: The Last Empress, documentary 2009[17]

Publications

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  • Tous désirs confondus, Actes Sud, 1988, new ed. 2009
  • Mémoires d'exil, Robert Laffont, 1990, ISBN 978-2-221-09023-7
  • Destins d'étoiles – tomes 1, 2, 3, 4 – Fixot, 1991–1992
  • Monte Carlo: la légende, Assouline, 1993
  • Une saison tunisienne, sous la direction de Frédéric Mitterrand et Soraya Elyes-Ferchichi, Actes Sud, 1995
  • L'Ange bleu: un film de Joseph von Sternberg, Plume, 1995
  • Madame Butterfly, Plume, 1995
  • Les Aigles foudroyés – la fin des Romanov des Habsbourg et des Hohenzollern, Pocket, 1998
  • Un jour dans le siècle, Robert Laffont, 2000
  • La Mauvaise Vie, Robert Laffont, 2005
  • Lettres d'amour en Somalie, Pocket, September 2006
  • Maroc, 1900–1960 Un certain regard, avec Abdellah Taïa, Actes Sud, 2007
  • Le Festival de Cannes, Robert Laffont, 2007
  • Le désir et la chance, Robert Laffont, 2012
  • La récréation, Robert Laffont, 2013

Honours

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National honours

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Foreign honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b Schofield, Hugh (9 October 2009). "'Bad Life' minister's colourful dynasty". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 12 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand est " franco-tunisien"". Europe 1. 18 January 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand - ARTE". Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
  4. ^ Frédéric Mitterrand, 'Lettre Romaine', in Têtu, July–August 2009, issue 146, p. 20.
  5. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand nommé à la Villa Médicis". 4 June 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand confirme sa venue à la culture". Le Monde.fr. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  7. ^ (in French) Transfer of power in the Ministry of Culture, in Libération.fr, 17 May 2012.
  8. ^ Samuel, Henry (7 October 2009). "Frédéric Mitterrand admitted to paying for sex with "young boys" in Thailand". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  9. ^ Lichfield, John (8 October 2009). "Mitterrand fights for his job after rent boy admission". The Independent. London. Retrieved 23 February 2023.[dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Mitterrand: A Friend to Polanski — and Young Boys?". Time online. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  11. ^ Allen, Peter (8 October 2009). "Sarkozy backs sex tourism minister". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  12. ^ "French culture minister denies paying boys for sex". Associated Press. Retrieved 9 October 2009.[dead link‍]
  13. ^ O'Brien, Mike (8 October 2009). "French pol Mitterrand forced to clarify 'sex with boys' comments after he defends Roman Polanski". NYDailyNews.com. New York. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  14. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand, ancien ministre de la culture et homme de télévision, est mort". Le Monde. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Frédéric Mitterrand, obituary: French politician in sex tourism scandal". The Times. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  16. ^ 12e Festival International du Film sur l´Art 8-13 mars 1994, Commanditaire Officiel (in French & English). Montréal: Pratt & Whitney Canada, 1994, p.35.
  17. ^ "Documentary: FARAH by Frédéric Mitterrand (2009)". Iranian.com.
  18. ^ "Liza Minnelli awarded French Legion of Honour".
  19. ^ Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo – Frederic Mitterrand and Liza Minnelli Liza Minnelli is awarded with chevalier of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur) by French Culture Minister Frederic". {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  20. ^ "Personnalities Honored At French Ministry Of Culture Photos and Images – Getty Images".
  21. ^ "Décret n° 57-549 du 2 mai 1957 portant institution de l'ordre des Arts et de lettres". Legifrance. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Actor Michael Caine Awarded "Commandeur Des Arts Et Des Lettres" At Ministere De La Culture Photos and Images – Getty Images".
  23. ^ "N° 7835 du VENDREDI 23 NOVEMBRE 2007 * Ordonnance Souveraine n° 1.396 du 18 novembre 2007 portant promotions ou nominat".
  24. ^ "Ordinului Coroana României".
  25. ^ "Frederic Mitterrand, între personalităţile decorate de principesa Margareta, în numele Regelui Mihai".
  26. ^ "Crucea Casei Regale a României".
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Culture
2009–2012 		Succeeded by
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