15/11/2013 - High concept and a simple plot are key for films to travel beyond their country of origin – but there’s also an economic interest in remakes

The 2013 edition of The Business Street has organized for the first time ever a special focus on remakes. 21 films from countries such as Italy, France, Argentina, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Russia, Spain and Mexico will be shown as part of the Remake It! section in search of new audiences all over the world. The key here is high concept, meaning a local theme that can work universally. A rare gem that isn't easy to find, but extremely rewarding (both economically and artistically) if done.

The films, which are shown as part of the Video Library, share a few common traits:  they have had great successes in their domestic markets and they are genre films, mostly comedies and a few thrillers. There is a cultural explanation for that. “If you want to do a comedy, it's better to do it out of a film from a Western culture. If it comes from an Eastern culture, it should be horror, science fiction and so on”, explains Guido Rud  (Filmsharks International).

Of course there's an economic interest in remakes. “It is a source of revenue, which is always interesting”, points out Adriana Chiesa, from the sales company Adriana Chiesa Enterprises, which owns distribution and remake rights to over 100 films and has recently licensed remake rights for several films in the past few years, significantly two adaptations of Federico Moccia's books for the Spanish market, which have turned into massive successes. “25% of our profits in the past two years comes from remakes”, says Rud.

High concept is key. “If the film has [a high concept], it has the power to be remade for local versions. It can travel beyond the country of origin. The story can be local/global, meaning it can perform locally and be understood internationally. It's very likely to achieve goals in the domestic markets”, explain Rud.

Rud also explains that a film with good remake potential needs to have a simple plot: “You need to be able to simplify it into one line. That means it's easy to explain and has the potential to have a high concept”.

It's not easy to find such films. Even though remakes can yield remarkable revenues, Chiesa “doesn't consider the remake possibilities when picking up worldwide distribution rights. It's something extra”. Besides, remakes are also a “way of promoting Italian and European culture throughout the world. It's important that the director understands the spirit of the original film and is able to translate it into the reality of his or her own country”, she adds.