César Awards: Presenter Strips Naked In Support Of France’s Intermittent Arts Workers During Live Televised Ceremony

French actress Corinne Masiero sent shockwaves through Paris’ Olympia concert hall during France’s César Awards ceremony this evening when she stripped off her clothes to appear entirely naked on stage. Across her breasts and torso was written, “No culture, no future.” The move was in support of artists and technicians across the country who have been impacted by work stoppages caused by the Covid crisis and the government’s response. Scrawled across her back was a message evidently destined for Prime Minister Jean Castex: “Give us back art, Jean.” (See video below, which, warning, contains full nudity.)

Masiero, who is a former César nominee for Louise Wimmer, and is also known for such films as Rust And Bone and TV series like long-running mockumentary Fait Pas Ci Fait Pas Ca and the current Capitaine Marleau, first appeared on stage in a donkey costume evoking 1970 Catherine Denueve-starrer Peau D’Ane and splashed with fake blood. Masiero then added, “I have another costume,” that was more “cinephile” and revealed a red dress à la Carrie.

Finally, before fully removing her dress and revealing she was entirely naked underneath, she said, “I have a last costume and after that’s there’s nothing more. This one is ‘Who Wants The Skin Of Roger L’Intermittant,'” a reference to the French title of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and using the local term for France’s recurring workers in the arts. She added the statement she was making was, “Because now we are like this, completely naked.”

As ceremony host Marina Fois scrambled to gather Masiero’s clothes off the stage floor, Masiero said, “I don’t think I’ll be invited next year, we’ll see.” Broadcaster Canal Plus then cut to a montage of the Costume nominees and when Masiero reappeared, she was back in the red dress.

Here’s video of the scene:

"No culture, no future."

L'intervention (dé)culottée de Corinne Masiero en soutien aux intermittents. #César2021 pic.twitter.com/Uhd8ibEfgj

— CANAL+ (@canalplus) March 12, 2021