by Thinus Ferreira
Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada has slammed the over 600 film professionals who signed a petition voicing their concern against French media tycoon Vincent Bolloré’s growing takeover creep, threatening that Canal+ will ban them and he will make sure Canal+ "will no longer work with the people who signed this petition".
The "Time To Switch-Off Bolloré" petition was signed last week by 600 film professionals, including prominent actors and directors.
The film professionals are concerned about Canal+ that recently acquired a 34% stake in the French production, distribution and exhibition company UGC and that could swallow it up by 2028.
Canal+ completed its corporate grab of Africa's MultiChoice in September 2025.
The public petition warns against Vincent Bolloré’s "expansion strategy" which signatories deem to "push a right-wing, reactionary agenda" in France.
According to the petition, Vincent Bolloré’s "plans go beyond mere business deals: the billionaire makes no secret of his 'civilisation project'. He is using his television channels, such as CNews and his publishing houses to push his far-right, reactionary agenda".
"So far, his ideological offensive on film content has been discreet. However, we hold no illusions: this will not last. By controlling the entire financial chain, Bolloré has complete freedom to act when the time comes. We won’t be able to say we didn't see it coming."
"The culture war that everyone talks about is not a mere clash of ideas. By leaving French cinema in the hands of a far-right billionaire, we risk not only a homogenisation of films, but a fascist takeover of our collective imagination.
"We, producers, distributors, exhibitors, filmmakers, screenwriters, technicians, cinema workers, and above all, citizens, no longer wish to remain spectators."
"Today, for our projects as much as our salaries, we all depend to varying degrees on Bolloré’s money and we want to break the insidious silence imposed on our industry."
At Canal+'s producers' lunch on Sunday at the 59th Cannes Film Festival, Maxime Saada reportedly slammed the petition and suggested that Canal+ will ban them and make sure that Canal+ ice them out with no work for them.
"I experienced this petition as an injustice towards the Canal teams who are committed to defending the independence of Canal+, and in all the diversity of its choices," Maxime Saada said.
"And as a result, I will no longer work, I no longer wish Canal+ to work with the people who signed this petition."
On Monday, in response to Maxime Saada's threats, the organisers of the petition in a new statement said "These intimidation tactics are typical of his group's majority shareholder, Vincent Bolloré".
"Our open letter, responding to the UGC acquisition, only ever singled out the aforementioned without incriminating the Canal+ teams. This threat, however, confirms our fears. Can we still believe in Canal+'s independence from the far-right billionaire, against whom it is now officially impossible to speak out?"
"The Time to Switch-Off Bolloré collective offers its unwavering support to all the signatories of the open letter, calls on labour unions to defend them, and maintains its call to action more strongly than ever.”
