“They were never explicit proposals,” defends Eduard Cortés, who denies the accusations of 27 women who appeared in El País. The film and television director, known for his work on series such as Merlin y Not one more, faces accusations of sexual harassment by 27 women, who claim that the filmmaker It offered job opportunities under the condition that they were recorded naked, masturbating or engaging in sexual practices. According to the report published by the aforementioned newspaper, the complainants They have presented messages and testimonies that span from 2007 to the present. Cortés rejects the accusations and argues that his communications were misinterpreted.
The alleged victims include actresses, photographers and visual artists, many of whom were at the beginning of their careers and report having been contacted by Cortés through platforms such as Fotolog, Facebook and Instagram. According to the newspaper, the director proposed that they participate in projects that required “intimate work,” which he justified as part of the creative process. Some women, according to their statements, agreed to send intimate images or videos, while others rejected the proposals.
In a statement sent to the Prisa newspaper, Cortés, 65, acknowledges that he had conversations with numerous people in the preparation of projects such as Ingrid (2009), but denied having made explicit job offers in exchange for sexual favors. “These interactions occurred in a hypothetical context, looking for connections between the character’s way of acting and our personal experience,” says the director. He also suggests there may have been “misinterpretations” in the conversations.
Among the complainants is the photographer Silvia Grav, who posted messages with the director on Instagram at the end of October, triggering a wave of similar testimonies. Grav reported that Cortés, after praising her talent, changed the tone of the conversation and began asking her questions related to her willingness to perform nude scenes or scenes with sexual connotations. “He told me that he really wanted to sexualize me,” Grav stated.
On Friday I reported Eduard Cortes on my Instagram for abuse of power and labor manipulation and grooming. When I was 19 and he was 55. In less than three days, 15 other women victims of him have written to me sharing their stories. pic.twitter.com/tsgrN9tI98
— Silvia Grav (@Silviagrav) October 29, 2024
Similarly, other women pointed out that the filmmaker used his position in the industry as a pretext to engage in intimate conversations. Some of the interviewees were minors when they had contact with him. “I was convinced that he offered me a real opportunity. I was 16 years old, and he talked to me about how he saw great potential in me,” declared one of the complainants.
The report of The Country It also includes the testimony of a mexican actress who claims to have been recorded naked by the director in an apartment in Barcelona. “I accepted because I trusted that I was participating in an artistic project. However, it was an uncomfortable experience and I felt that at any moment the situation could boil over,” he said.
A class action was initially proposed, but the complainants have faced legal and financial obstacles. According to the report, the initial legal advice for a joint complaint had a cost of 850 euros plus VAT per person, a figure that many could not afford. Furthermore, institutions that promised support, such as the Catalan Film Academy, have not launched internal investigations because Cortés resigned his membership before he could be subpoenaed. “They told us they would open a commission, but in the end they did nothing because he unsubscribed,” laments Norah Alexandra Vega, one of the complainants. The Aspacia foundation, which collaborates with the Spanish Film Academy to provide support to victims of violence in the cultural sector, has not offered concrete solutions either, according to those interviewed.
A career under scrutiny
Eduard Cortés is a prominent figure in Spanish cinema, with titles such as Nobody’s life (2002) y Close to your house (2016). His most recent seriesNot one more, addresses precisely the issue of sexual violence and abuse of power, which has added a controversial dimension to the accusations against him. The filmmaker denies any inappropriate behavior. “Everything related to photos, videos and videoconferences belongs to the intimate and personal sphere. At no time was it part of the project,” he declared. However, the women who have raised their voices say they will not rest until there is a thorough investigation. “It is time for the system to stop protecting those who abuse their position of power,” concludes Vega.
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