6 h 25 août 2021 ans - SCREEN DAILY Karlovy Vary’s Karel Och defends Johnny Depp tribute on “presumption of innocence”

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Karlovy Vary’s Karel Och defends Johnny Depp tribute on “presumption of innocence”

BY BEN DALTON

A “presumption of innocence” convinced Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) to honour controversial US actor-producer Johnny Depp at its 55th edition, according to artistic director Karel Och.

The festival is one of several late summer and autumn European events paying tribute to Depp, who will arrive in Karlovy Vary tomorrow (August 26). He will present screenings of Julien Temple’s Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan and Andrew Levitas’ Minamata, the latter of which he stars in and both of which he produced.

“We’re convinced that there is something called ‘presumption of innocence’ that should be respected,” says Och, regarding allegations of domestic abuse by Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp has been neither charged nor convicted of any violent crime against Heard; however in November 2020 the UK’s High Court of Justice ruled that 12 of 14 incidents of violence claimed by Heard were “substantially true”, leading to Depp stepping down from Warner Bros’ Fantastic Beasts franchise. He was then refused permission to appeal on the basis he had “no real prospect of success”.

“If you enter certain discussions without thinking about the presumption of innocence, you can take it way too far, to a place which has nothing in common with why we’re inviting the person,” says Och. “We’re happy to have such a huge star in the festival, but he comes as a filmmaker, to support his work.”

Regarding Depp’s ongoing legal issues, Och says, “It has its own pace, but until it is resolved we will not engage in those conversations, which are semi-gossipy.”

Pushed on what a resolution would look like – whether it might have the form of a conviction in a Czech or US court – Och says “it’s a very complex agenda to speculate.”

Och outlined the process through which Depp’s attendance was secured. The artistic director and executive director Krystof Mucha have been making twice-yearly trips to the US for a couple of weeks at a time to promote the festival and secure high-profile guests; the pair have done “about 800 meetings” over the past 16 years, with Depp having been a target across that time.

On this occasion the festival approached HanWay Films, which is selling both Crock Of Gold and Minamata, with the sales agent confirming Depp’s availability and keenness to come in July. As well as introducing the two films, Depp will meet fans on the red carpet outside the festival’s main Hotel Thermal venue. Och expects he will attend a private dinner in his honour that is given for all high-profile guests; negotiations for a press conference are still ongoing.

Depp’s attendance in the context of the controversy was not discussed with the festival’s board, the artistic director revealed.

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