Change.org petition on Friday, March 2nd in France. The petition to remove Bertrand Cantat from the Papillons de Nuit music festival is nearing its goal of 75,000 signatures.
Papillons de Nuit, a music festival in northern France, says its decisions about booking are based on creativity and nothing else. But a growing group of activists is hoping to remove Bertrand Cantat from the lineup.
It was a brutal killing that left fans speechless. In 2003, popular French artist Bertrand Cantat beat actress girlfriend Marie Trintignant so viciously that she subsequently died from brain trauma. Cantat, a member of French rock group Noir Désir at the time, initially denied the aggressive assault but ultimately received an eight year prison sentence.
Trintignant, 41 at the time, was actually divorced and in an affair with Cantat when she was killed. Apparently Cantat went into a rage because of a text message from Trintignant’s ex-husband, delivering nearly 20 blows to the actress’ head that provoked serious brain bleeding. The pair were staying in a hotel room in Lithuania, where Noir Désire were touring.
Trintignant died on August 1st, 2003, leaving four children behind.
Cantat ended up serving just four years of that sentence, with the remaining four on parole. The murder effectively ended Noir Désir, though Cantat has been attempting a comeback.
Accordingly, the singer is now booked to perform at Papillons de Nuit, a music festival in northern France. Nearly 75,000 people on change.org are trying to change that.
Marie Trintignant
“We consider that our only criteria should be artistic,” organizers of Papillon de Nuit have stated.
That resistance is setting the stage for a major standoff, with fans potentially asked to boycott the event if Cantat isn’t removed.
“By featuring Bertrand Cantat, you trivialize and endorse violence against women,” the petition states (translated from French). “Is it necessary to remind you that in 2003, Bertrand Cantat killed his companion, Marie Trintignant, in Vilnius in Lithuania?”
“Violence against women cannot be eradicated from our society as long as festivals like yours — but also film festivals, TV shows, or any other major events — reward and invite murderers, rapists or criminals to be acclaimed and presented to the public as idols.”
After the murder, Cantat’s wife committed suicide while her husband was in the house. Critics claimed that Cantat’s spouse was being physically abused for years, and used suicide as an escape.
The Papillons de Nuit festival is slated to take place on May 18-20 in Saint-Laurent-de-Cuves, Normandy. More than 70,000 are expected to attend.
The Change.org petition can be found here.