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INDUSTRY Spain

Changing times in Spanish culture

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The end of 2011 and beginning of 2012 has been a turbulent time for almost all sectors of Spanish society, including of course cinema. After the landslide victory of conservative Mariano Rajoy in the General Elections of November 20, the critical economic situation and the scant affection felt for Spanish cinema by the more belligerent conservative electorate, who accuse it of aligning itself with the Socialist Party and living off subsidies, heralded difficult times for the film industry.

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One of the first measures taken by Rajoy connected to cinema was the elimination of the Culture Minister, whose role has been merged with Education and Sports with the appointment of sociologist and lawyer José Ignacio Wert (pictured). In his first statements about cinema, Wert expressed his intention for public funding to be gradually replaced by private investment, which involves a dismantling of the current system. Moreover, the uncertainty surrounding the identity of the future director of the ICAA and the total budget of the Film Protection Fund could cause a noticeable drop in production in the first months of 2012.

However, the Spanish film industry has shown the new government its willingness to collaborate. In an open letter to Wert published in daily newspaper El País, Pedro Pérez, president of FAPAE producers’ federation, emphasised the need for “a plan” for cinema and called for an “exercise in self-criticism” on the part of the sector.

If there is one matter on which the different professions of the Spanish film industry and the new minister are in perfect agreement, that is copyright. After the refusal of the Socialist government to approve the development of the Sustainable Economy Law (better known as the Sinde Law), which includes mechanisms for the fight against piracy (see news), the new Executive hastened to do this in its first days in power. Nevertheless, beyond this political step, the accord on this matter extends to the conceptual level, as shown by Wert’s assertions: “a country that aspires to be a reference in global culture can’t permit itself to be a country that disregards the rights of cultural creators”.

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(Translated from Spanish)

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