01/10/2012 - Famous directors have written to the President of the European Commission to defend the principle of ISP contributions to film funding

The French Civil Society of Writers-Directors-Producers (ARP) today circulated an open letter to the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso (photo) about the threats to one of the sources of funding for French film production, the contribution of online television service providers. The letter is signed by French film directors Michel Hazanavicius, Jean-Paul Salomé, Bertrand Tavernier, and Jean-Jacques Beineix, Italian directors Marco Bellocchio and Emanuele Crialese, Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Lucas Belvaux, and Jaco van Dormael, British directors Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Rebecca O'Brien, and Stephen Frears, Béla Tarr from Hungary, Hans-Christian Schmid from Germany, Cristian Mungiu and Radu Mihaileanu from Romania, Joachim Trier from Norway, and Franco-Greek director Costa Gavras. Here is the whole letter.

Mr President,
Dear José Manuel Barroso,

Last year, during a meeting with several of us, we voiced our concerns related to the dangers that were affecting the budgetary autonomy and the very survival of the MEDIA Programme which is fundamental for the effective distribution and promotion of European cinema.

During this meeting, you assured us of your profound and sincere attachment to culture and cinema, and their importance for Europe.

This is why we are hereby raising the dangers that are once again threatening the financing of our productions. The French National Cinema Centre itself has been funded for several years by a contribution from the online television services providers.

These services develop, in particular, through our attractive creations, both cinematographic and audio-visual. In the same way as for traditional services, French and European creators have always asked that the new services provided on line contribute to financing the productions.

Differences in points of view between the various departments of the Commission concerning the validity of this levy prevent us from being reassured as to the validation of this contribution, even though the perimeters have been redefined in agreement with internet service providers.

We should like to draw your attention to the fact that this contribution makes it possible to finance European productions as important and ambitious as those of Michael Haneke, who was awarded the Palme d’Or prize during the last Cannes Festival, Christian Mungiu, who recently received two awards at Cannes, Ken Loach, Michel Hazanavicius and Tom Hooper awarded by the Oscars Academy for The Artist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michel Hazanavicius
film profile] and The King’s Speech [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tom Hooper
film profile], but also films by Manoel de Oliveira, Lars Von Trier and Pedro Almodóvar. Moreover, 49 of the 56 selected films in Cannes could not have been financed without the contribution of French cinema. We know that you are as convinced as us of the fact that digital Europe should not only think about “pop videos” and “costumers”, but mostly culture and citizens. We therefore need an ambitious European cinematographic and audio-visual policy that is both industrial and cultural.

We should like your decisive arbitration and support in placing cinema and culture in a virtuous circle in which the services that benefit commercially from a diverse cultural offer effectively contribute to maintaining this European cultural wealth.

We are aware of how complex your task is in this current context of European struggle, but we would like to participate in its diffusion. Our industry and Art should demonstrate a fine European example.

Through our success, diversity and unique perceptions of our societies, we believe that we are contributing to offering a vision of hope for Europe.

(Translated from French)