Polanski documentary to focus on arrest

Reuters

A new documentary on Roman Polanski will focus on the Oscar-winning director's fight against extradition to the United States on decades-old child sex charges. Filmmaker Marina Zenovich was already working on the film when Polanski was arrested upon his arrival at a Swiss film festival last September.

"When he got arrested out of the blue, it all got much bigger," Zenovich said.

Zenovich's film follows her 2008 documentary Roman Polanski: wanted and desired, which offered a sympathetic view of the French-Polish director, who fled the United States in 1978 to avoid being jailed.

"I'll follow the story to the end," she said.

Polanski is currently under house arrest in Switzerland, pending authorities' decision on whether he should be sent to the United States, where he faces allegations of having had sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer against her will.

Polanski says the extradition would bring further upset to Geimer, who has publicly forgiven him following an out-of-court settlement.

Several filmmakers screening at this week's Cannes film festival signed a petition in support of Polanski. The list includes Jean-Luc Godard, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas and Patricio Guzman.