A Dutch court on Tuesday rejected a bid by France’s literary enfant terrible Michel Houellebecq to ban a sexually explicit film featuring the star writer.
The global bestselling author, who was seen shirtless and kissing a young woman in a trailer for the film “Kirac 27”, said it damaged his reputation by portraying him as a “porn star”.
But an Amsterdam judge ruled it was “incomprehensible” that Houellebecq had not understood the contract he signed with Dutch filmmaker Stefan Ruitenbeek to feature in the erotic film.
The judge refused Houellebecq’s request to ban the film and ordered him to pay Ruitenbeek’s legal costs of 1,393 euros.
“It is incomprehensible why Houellebecq participated in the recordings if he found the agreement really problematic,” the judge said in a written ruling.
The judge dismissed Houellebecq’s claims that he only signed the contract because he was depressed and had been drinking.
The author found the verdict “very disappointing”, his Dutch lawyer Jacqueline Schaap told AFP.
“Mr Houellebecq is seriously considering an urgent appeal,” she said in a statement.
Director Ruitenbeek said he was relieved by the decision.
“It has always been my intention to make a portrait with integrity. Hopefully Michel is happy with the result,” he said in a statement released by his lawyer.
In February Houellebecq lost a similar bid in a French court.
Houellebecq is a controversial writer, and often accused of tapping into right-wing fears over Islam in France.
