The Battle for French Culture: Canal+, Bolloré, and the Future of Creative Freedom The recent controversy at Cannes has exposed a deep seated fault line in France's cultural landscape.
At its core is the struggle between artistic freedom and corporate interests, as embodied by billionaire media mogul Vincent Bolloré and his holding company, Vivendi.
A petition launched by "Zapper Bolloré," a collective of 3,500 strong including A listers like Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, aims to resist the far right influence of Canal+, which Bolloré controls.