Enough is enough. And it is especially not enough. This is the meaning of a letter addressed to the management of France Télévisions in the columns of "Le Monde" by a group of directors, producers, distributors, festival directors or directors of cinematheques. All the signatories are saddened to note that in this period of confinement, the policy of heritage feature films offered at 2 p.m. by France 2 favors the successful multi-broadcasts that are Gérard Oury's films, including "La Grande Vadrouille" or " Le Corniaud ”with Bourvil and De Funès, but also those of Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Philippe de Broca and other Georges Lautner.
Of course, say the signatories, these films are "the guarantors of a common memory" and have "vocation to be seen and seen again". But aren't they the tree that hides the forest? That of "diversity", flagship of the famous cultural exception linked to the richness of French cinema? Where are the Chabrol, Pialat, Varda, Truffaut, Desplechin and even, to broaden the circle abroad, the Almodovar, Leone, Fellini? Finally, what will happen to post-containment? In short, we guess between the lines the double bottom of the message. Why should this heritage upturn not be doomed to last?
"Lighten the darkness of this period"
It will last at least "until the end of August", confirms Stéphane Sitbon, director of cabinet of Delphine Ernotte, president of France Télévisions, and this from May 11 by switching to France 3. At the beginning, confides that who is also the director of transformation for France Télévisions, this locomotive policy decided "from the start of containment" was based on a unifying "double challenge". "At a time when television and all the media were not carrying good news, it was necessary to gather the family around the screen and stay in the tone of comedy to lighten the darkness of this period a little and the powerful anxiety that it gave off during the first days. "
This family-smile equation could only bear fruit. “We are no longer used to having so many people in front of the screen at that time. Between 5 million people and 2 million now, it's huge! It is a real social phenomenon! "
After the deconfinement, France 2 will return to its afternoon broadcasts. France 3, the birthplace of a more cinephile tradition, was ideal for taking over and going down in abseiling shots in the gold mine of French cinema. "Golden Helmet", "The Human Beast", "The Great Illusion", then Maigret will take over. In any case, comedy will no longer be a milestone. Yes, but closer to us? The Chabrol, the Pialat? "Chabrol, yes, it can be part of it," says Stéphane Sitbon. But without pushing too far what is already, "an additional risk". "At the beginning of the afternoon, except for a few very demanding moviegoers, people tend to want something easy to watch."