Bataclan Attack Film Postponed Following Backlash
A French film that used the Bataclan terror attack in Paris as the backdrop for a romantic drama has been postponed following an outcry over the TV movie.
France 2, a national public broadcaster, announced Thursday that they have indefinitely shelved Ce Soir-Là (That Night) after a Change.org petition, created by the partner of one Bataclan victim, drew over 39,000 signatures protesting the film’s broadcast, Deadline reports. Further production on the film was also halted.
Following the backlash to the film, France 2 said in a statement, “The film, which is still being edited, has not been seen by the channel’s management. France 2 has made the decision to postpone this project until the production has widely consulted all victims’ associations.”
Eighty-nine people were killed on November 13th, 2015 at the Bataclan when terrorists opened fire during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. Ce Soir-Là (That Night) would have used the tragedy as a springboard to tell a fictional love story about a French woman and a former Taliban member whose relationship begins after they rescued survivors of the Bataclan attack.
In late November, Claire Peltier started a Change.org petition lobbying the head of France 2 to cancel Ce Soir-Là (That Night), adding that the broadcast would be “too painful… out of respect for those who were lost and injured.” “We are scandalized that such a film could see the light of day so soon after such a violent event,” Peltier added.
Arthur Denouveaux of the victims group Life For Paris said of France 2’s decision in a statement, “Even if we have never asked for censorship, we are glad that modesty and restraint have prevailed.”
Earlier this year, Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends), a documentary about the band’s experience at the Bataclan and their return to Paris, premiered on HBO. In November, Eagles of Death Metal performed a brief set outside the Bataclan to mark the second anniversary of the attacks.