Depardieu stars as 'magician' in film directed by friend

PARIS

French icon Gerard Depardieu, who is awaiting a verdict in his sexual assault trial, is starring in a film directed by his friend, actor Fanny Ardant, a tale of love on a mysterious island.

Depardieu, 76, who has been accused of sexual assault or rape by around 20 women, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement.

In March, he had complained that he had been out of work for three years.

"It's a love story about two women who find themselves on a mysterious island," producer Ana Pinhao Moura told AFP.

She said that the shooting of the scenes involving Depardieu began in April in Sao Miguel, the largest island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, and was due to end next week.

Depardieu plays the part of "the island's magician, a mysterious figure who connects other characters," she added.

The producer described the film as "a 100-percent Portuguese production."

This month a court will deliver the verdict in Depardieu's sexual assault trial which has gripped France. The announcement will coincide with the first day of the Cannes Film Festival on May 13.

Prosecutors have requested an 18-month suspended jail sentence for Depardieu.

The actor's trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of "Les Volets Verts" (The Green Shutters) by director Jean Becker.