French cinema has a sexual abuse problem. Why is it persisting?

For many American filmgoers, actor Gérard Depardieu is one of the iconic faces of French cinema, known for his leading role in “Cyrano de Bergerac” or for playing Dominique Strauss-Kahn in the 2014 film “Welcome to New York.”

But Mr. Depardieu has more recently gained notoriety as a sexual predator. More than a dozen women have accused the actor of sexual assault or harassment, and he is accused of raping a woman in 2018.

In December, the actor’s fall from grace seemed complete after a television broadcast of the documentary “Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre,” in which the actor was seen making sexist remarks while in North Korea in 2018.

But two weeks later, despite widespread condemnation, 56 stars