Roman Polanski’s name does not normally grace this section of the Financial Times. But the director’s arrest in Zurich last Saturday has raised some intriguing questions of interest to more than film buffs and legal eagles.

For the few who may not have heard, Mr Polanski, a French-Polish dual citizen based in Paris, was detained at Zurich airport while travelling to receive an award for his lifetime’s work at the city’s aspiring film festival.