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Cannes: If you're really going to shout "Long live the cinema!" the Cannes Film Festival is the ideal place to do it.
That's what Quentin Tarantino said from the top of the red carpet steps of Cannes before entering the premiere of "Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood", his ode to the Love the film industry.
The film, filled with nostalgia for the sunny days of 1969 and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, sums up what has almost disappeared in Hollywood: an original epic with a big budget and directed by a movie star. This is the big-screen replica of Tarantino to anyone who claims that movies are reduced to the era of streaming.
And nowhere is the art of cinema more celebrated and taken seriously than Cannes. "Long live the cinema!" is more or less ethical and the rallying cry of the festival. Along with the boom of streaming, Cannes has more and more the terrain of a battlefield, where different visions of the soul of cinema are fiercely contested.
At this year's festival, which wraps up Saturday with the presentation of the Palme d & # 39. Or, Netflix is for the second year in a row largely absent from Cannes. After the festival, under the pressure of French operators, declaring that the films were essential for distribution in French theaters to compete for the Palm, Netflix was withdrawing, refusing to retain his films from his platform during the 36-month period by French law. 19659002] But throughout the festival on the Cote d 'Azur, the streaming giant has always been noticeable: out of the box, but not in the spirit. From Alejandro Iñárritu to Pedro Almodóvar, many of the most renowned filmmakers in the world have made the difference. The pros and cons of a Cannes without Netflix have always been a topic of conversation in the evenings at the seaside and in the halls of the festival, the Palais des Festivals. [19659002] Many would like to see an end to the Cannes-Netflix cold war.
"Netflix is doing a great job," said Iñarritu, president of this year's jury. "Why not give people the choice to experience the cinema?"
Iñarritu, whose "Birdman" distorted the dominance of superhero films, paid tribute to Netflix for its support for the types of films that major studios have for the most part abandoned. In an interview with The New York Times he went further: "We all let this medium die and become an entertainment-franchise park.And if these studios, distributors and exhibitors do not find a way to follow, Netflix will eat them alive. "
This year's festival has always been animated by new voices and old masters. There was no lack of exciting breakthroughs ("Portrait of a lady on fire" by Celine Sciamma), prominent genre films ("Parasite" by Bong Joon-ho) or Hollywood glitter ( "Rocketman" by Dexter Fletcher). But some think that Cannes would be better if this year Netflix had a role to play.
Veteran producer Cbadian Elwes, whose credits include "Mudbound" from Netflix, said keeping Netflix away from the festival hurts the business. Many films (completed or in development) are bought and sold on the Cannes market.
"Cannes is in a state of disrepair, business is flat and most of the films shown here are not relevant to the US market," Elwes said on Twitter. "Both parties, the market and the festival, need to realize that they are co-dependent and find a quick fix." Keeping the streamers is counterproductive. "
Netflix still has an acquisitions team in Cannes. Although he has not announced any purchase, it may still be. A study by the Sorbonne shows how vital Netflix has been for the festival markets. Its researchers have found that 39% of Cannes' premieres since 2009 have been broadcast on Netflix, although most have had theatrical series.
The loss of Cannes was a gain for Venice. Last year, Netflix notably withdrew the title of "Roma" from Alfonso Cuarón, among other titles, after the two parties were unable to find a solution. Cannes is already under pressure because many films have recently preferred to make their debut in the fall, closer to the Oscars season. But missing the film "Roma" – which won the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival and has become perhaps the most critically acclaimed film – was hurt.
Netflix and Cannes have since continued their discussions without result. Although they are apparently not ready for Cannes, Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman" and Steven Soderbergh's "The Laundromat" were rumors that would surely have been major badets for the festival.
Almodóvar, who created his film "Pain and Glory" "to good reviews in Cannes, is among those happy to see someone standing at the height of Netflix.He considers the dwindling number of theaters in his Native Spain as a crisis
"Fortunately, we have a different country in France," said Almodóvar. "France is the biggest advocate of the big screen, and I think it's the only one in the world. French industry that will deliver this battle against streaming platforms. "
Netflix has attracted protesters at the Berlin Film Festival, but France and Cannes are his, the most difficult market despite more than 5 million subscribers Here when Ted Sarandos, head of Netflix's content, intervened on stage at Cannes in 2015, he was heckled. (Harvey Weinstein took his defense dramatically.) In the tumult of including two outlets of Netflix in 2017 – "Okja" of Bong and "The Noah Baumbach's "Meyerowitz Stories", some festival goers hailed the Netflix logo. Others are rejoicing.
The riddle of Netflix in Cannes can only worsen when Disney, WarnerMedia and Apple deploy their own streaming platforms later this year. After presenting the first two episodes of his Amazon series "Too Old to Die Young," director Nicolas Refn said, "The studios are preparing for the ultimate streaming broadcast .I think it's a public notoriety" .
However, this increased competition could also give Cannes more weight. The festival remains an unprecedented world stage, much sought after by filmmakers.
"Banners will have their own survival in the most appropriate scenarios, because how much can you subscribe?" said Tom Bernard, co-president of Sony Clbadics. "As diverse as the distributors at the moment, I think streaming services are just as diverse."
There are already signs of a thaw. Netflix has a film in Cannes: "The wounds" of Babak Anvari. He plays the Directors' Fortnight, a separate but competing section in Cannes run independently by the French Guild of Directors.
Refn, for one, was ready to declare the dawn of a new era. While some television series and some movies especially designed for television have already made their debut at Cannes, his show is the first streaming series to be premiered at the festival. He called it "year zero".
"It's the future, streaming," said Refn. "Now Cannes has changed, it has mutated into the future, and unlimited possibilities have been added to that."
This story was published from a news agency thread without text modification.
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