The 2,000 French cinemas, a unique park in the world, have been closed for five months.
But this week, gleam at the bottom of the tunnel: the presidential address of Wednesday gave hope for a reopening in mid-May
"of certain places of culture"
.
The dark rooms, where a strict protocol had been put in place after the first confinement, will they be part of it?
The exhibitors hope so, even if
"we know very well that the date will depend on the health evolution"
, underlines the general delegate of the Federation of cinemas (FNCF), Marc-Olivier Sebbag.
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Cinemas are already phosphorous for the "D" day, counting on a reopening in
"three phases separated by one month each"
, with gauges of one third of attendance, two thirds, then a return to normal.
Without certainty on the possibility of scheduling evening sessions, if the curfew continues.
Traffic jam
In the immediate future, the seventh art is also worried about a huge traffic jam of films, lying fallow since the closing of theaters, and which will want to be released in the months following the reopening.
Sign of this feverishness, many have not yet announced a date, when others have changed several times.
On the side of large French productions alone, the first part of
Kaamelott
was stalled on July 21, the new
OSS 117
, ready for months, wants to be released on August 4,
Aline
by Valérie Lemercier inspired by the life of Céline Dion table on November, and
Les Tuche 4
was reserved on December 8, one year after its initial date ...
In total, more than 400 films stampede and, every week, more are added…
“The sooner we reopen, the more quickly the problem will be solved”
, presses Mr. Sebbag.
This is because, faced with this avalanche, everyone is the loser: large productions, for lack of space to make their investments profitable, such as small arthouse films, which will go unnoticed, decrypts Hélène Herschel, of the National Federation of film publishers (FNEF), which pleads to also tackle piracy.
"The pressure will be very strong when it reopens"
, even if the expected influx of films only represents an increase of around 20% compared to the second half of 2019, the last
"normal"
year
for cinema, puts it into perspective. -it.
To lower the pressure a little, the authorities have exceptionally allowed, since Thursday, films to be released first on the small screen or on a platform, while retaining the aid received during their production.
“It would be detrimental both for the public and for our creators if, due to too many films available, large productions, especially American ones, deprive more diverse works of exposure. It is fundamental that each work can meet its audience, ”
explained the president of the National Cinema Center (CNC), Dominique Boutonnat, by presenting this temporary departure from the sacrosanct chronology of the media.
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Limited breakage
Since the start of the health crisis, few films have left the room.
This is the case of
Madame Claude
, biopic of the
"
Madam of the Republic"
, released Friday on Netflix, or of the
Wonder Woman 1984
blockbuster
, available online ... Will it also be necessary to adjust the rules of competition, which prohibit distributors from consulting on release dates?
Seized, the Competition Authority told AFP to examine
"in extreme urgency"
a request on a possible concerted timetable for the recovery.
Its advisory opinion is expected in early April.
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Successful reopening is all the more important since, until now, massive and targeted aid has made it possible to limit the damage: film production has fallen "only" by 20% in France in 2020. But investors are very cautious and, if this dynamic breaks, the directors will no longer be able to launch new projects, fears Ms. Herschel.
Irony of fate: the overflow at the opening could follow months of scarcity, for lack of new curly films.