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The Cannes film festival has got underway on the riviera and Friday night’s film is one of two features rocking the boat on the riviera. The films were financed by the online streaming service, Netflix, and they won’t be coming out in French cinemas. It’s a first for the festival and a choice that’s sparked anger among French industry insiders. Report by Olivia Salazar-Winspear, Pierrick Leurent and Claire Williams.
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((When it comes to watching a film, the options for how to do it are limitless : on a plane, on a laptop or even on your phone… but what about the old fashioned way – that is – the cinema ?
VOX : woman
My colleagues and I try to go to the cinema 2 or 3 times a month top see the new releases. Otherwise I watch films on TV at home, or on VOD.
VOX : man
If it’s a film with my children, I’ll go to the cinema, because I want them to learn about the pleasure of seeing something on the big screen, the quality of the images, the patience required to watch a film until the end.
VOX : woman
When it’s my friends who suggest going to the cinema I say ok, let’s go. Otherwise I prefer to watch films on the sofa, chilled out, in my pyjamas, and I can choose the film, stop in the middle, start again.
She’s not the only one… home streaming services are increasingly popular… and now their products have hit the red carpet.
UPSOT:
Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja” is one of two features in competition at Cannes, funded by Netflix:
The films have sparked controversy because they’re are not getting a theatrical release in France.
SOT : Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix
« Cannes will continue to program that they believe to be the greatest films in the world, and those films may come to them differently than they used to. The audience is changing, therefore distribution changes. »
Yet this goes against the French protocol.. which says that films are released in cinemas first … and only on streaming services three years later. Union representatives say they’re prepared to compromise… but that cultural differences must be respected.
SOT : Richard Patry, Fédération Nationale des Cinémas Français
« Qu’ils acceptent de s’assoir à la table avec nous. Que la chronologie des médias doit évoluer nous sommes d’accord elle doit évoluer. Mais qu’on se mette autour de la table et on en discute. Qu’on ne soit pas dans les prises de position, des prises en otage. Netflix est le passager clandestin de ce festival. C’est insupportable pour les salles de cinéma françaises. »
“They should agree to sit down and talk to us. The audiovisual limitations here must change, yes, we agree, they should change. But they need to get round the table with us and discuss it. They can’t be so obstinate about it, they can’t take hostages like this. Netflix is the stowaway at this festival. And that’s inacceptable for French cinema operators.”
The feeling among many film industry insiders is that even if Netflix and its competitors produce high quality productions, a laptop can never compete with the big screen experience… it’s a strong and angry defence of cinema-going, which is what the Cannes film festival is all about. ))
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