Filmmaker James Toback claims boxer Mike Tyson is innocent in his infamous rape conviction and makes that case in his new documentary Tyson, although no evidence is presented.

The doc, which played Cannes on the weekend in the Un Certain Regard section, is based on 30 hours of interviews Toback conducted with Tyson since Iron Mike retired from the ring and fell into bankruptcy. The only time Tyson goes ballistic -- at least during new interviews -- is in talking about Desiree Washington, the beauty pageant contestant Tyson was accused of raping in Indiana in 1991. He was convicted in 1992 and spent three years in jail.

"The actual facts of that case are a movie, in of themselves," Toback told reporters in response to a Sun Media question. "He absolutely was set up there and the extortion went awry. I know that."

On screen, Tyson is foul-mouthed about Washington. He rages, after confessing he may have taken "advantage" of other women in other situations, that: "I in no way took that woman's chastity."

Toback did not say if he would actually make another Tyson film to prove what Tyson claims about his rape conviction.

Nor does he take a position on Tyson's creepy confession that he was a scum-thief as a youngster, indulging in petty crimes that got him arrested 38 times by age 13.

Now 41, Tyson was also at Cannes, basking in the standing ovation at his first screening (some of us refused to stand up for a convicted rapist). "Just remarkable," Tyson said on stage, squirming in his chunky suit, "I've never experienced anything like this in my career."