French actor Gerard Depardieu to play Dominique Strauss-Kahn

London: Gerard Depardieu will star as Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a film by US director Abel Ferrara about the New York sex scandal that caused the former IMF chief to resign. Ferrera met Depardieu, 63, at the Deauville film festival in September and said the French star was everything a director could wish for in an actor. The director has also announced that Isabelle Adjani playing Strauss-Kahn’s wife, Anne Sinclair.

Strauss-Kahn left the International Monetary Fund last May after being charged with raping a hotel maid. The case was dropped but ended his ambitions for the French presidency. Before the scandal Strauss-Kahn, a former French finance minister, was thought to have had aspirations to run as a Socialist contender for the post. French writer Tristane Banon later accused him of trying to sexually assault her during an interview in 2003, claims he denied. No action was taken because of a three-year statute of limitations but Banon has indicated she may still file a civil suit. Ferrera said that the film would be shot in New York, Paris and Washington. “In all the places of power: It’s a film about the rich and powerful” he was quoted as telling a French newspaper. The project has long been rumoured but Ferrara confirmed he would be going ahead with it in June, despite the doubts of his producers Wildbunch. “I am the director. No one is going to stop me talking about my film,” Ferrara said. ANI