ARW – Project France 
PDF Rationally Speaking is a bi-weekly podcast of New York City Skeptics. Their blog published on Feb. 06th, 2012 a guest post from Maarten Boudry, a fellow of the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research at Ghent University (BE).
Maarten Boudry offers his insight on the theoretical content of the documentary and the arguments of the psychoanalysts and the court.
He concludes that “this ruling is a blatant violation of the right to free speech and free dissemination of information”.
Excerpts:
“In most other countries, different variants of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are regarded as the standard treatment for autism (and for several other psychological afflictions). French psychoanalysts continue resisting this approach, because they (falsely) regard it as a reductionist approach that solely focuses on behavior change and neglects the subjective dimension of psychological illness.
[...]
In spite of Robert’s editing work, anyone who bothers to sit through the whole documentary will see a prime example of self-incrimination, with all sorts of bizarre pronouncements that are really self-explanatory, and that derive from a long psychoanalytic tradition of blaming autism on flawed relationships with parents (Bruno Bettelheim, Jacques Lacan, Françoise Dolto).
[...]
The other charges against Sophie Robert are simply ridiculous. The film is accused of being “polemic,” as if this was a thought crime in itself. A film maker has the right to express his or her views on a subject, and to take sides if (s)he feels morally obliged to do so. Would any sensible person be able to make a documentary about homeopathy, astrology or Scientology and manage to remain studiously evenhanded about the subject matter?
[...]
This ruling is a blatant violation of the right to free speech and free dissemination of information. All interviewees had signed an agreement disowning their rights to the footage and acknowledging that the material would be edited. Although freedom of speech ends where libel and slander begin, psychoanalysts have not even come close to showing that such is the case.”
Read the blog entry on Rationally Speaking
