A summer in French in cinemas

• Some exhibitors have been sticking out since the reopening of theaters, due to the lack of American blockbusters.
• The deprogramming of “Tenet” or “Mulan” causes them harm, but the planned French comedies should comfort them.

The return to the cinema, since June 22, has been a success ... mixed for cinema owners who fear a rotten summer. "We had a million spectators in a week, announces at 20 Minutes   Richard Patry, the president of the Federation of French Cinemas . This means that the regulars are back. But now we need to attract the casual audience. Those who are waiting for big outings to take the plunge.

"This week, people like  De Gaulle and La Bonneouse have done the job," says Renaud Florent Benoist, director of the Coliseum in Saint-Galmier (42). "We had made the political choice to screen independent films and our results were average," explainsStéphane Goudet, director of Mélies in Montreuil (93). Her colleague Sylvie Jaillet at the Ciné Festival in Amberieu en Buguet (01) is also delighted: “We gathered 150 spectators for Bohemian Rhapsody , she remembers. People went out with a smile saying that seeing it indoors was better than the DVD. "She is more reserved for the future:" In my room, we live in the summer with big American films and their deprogramming makes me fear a very impacted attendance! "

"Tenet" and "Mulan" to absent subscribers

The Americans follow an international logic in which France is only a pawn on the chessboard of world outings. And French cinemas are worried to see that the promising titles are likely to miss. "Losing  Tenet and  Mulan  is a disaster," confirms Arnaud Vialle, operator in Sarlat (24). I do not see what could replace the shortfall caused by the absence of these two highly anticipated films. The reopening of its six rooms at the Rex has proved disappointing - 60% less than usual - and it plans to reduce the number of screenings and put part of its team back on partial unemployment.

"The films are not interchangeable, sighs Stéphane Goudet. There may be a phenomenon of curiosity about certain films, but it is unlikely that the spectator of Tenet by Christopher Nolan will want to fall back on François Ozon's Summer 85 . Arnaud Vialle is also skeptical. “A great success of Ozon as Thanks to God made less than 700,000 admissions in France, that remains little compared to a big American film. "

This is the film we need, regardless of the current context. This @JeanPascalZadi brings a breath of fresh air to French cinema. I think he has a solid foundation to keep us kiffing for a long time. # ToutSimplementNoir #Noir #Black # comédie #mdr https://t.co/Nh0nsIYBVZ

Richard Patry, the owner of the exhibitors, nevertheless hopes that this state of affairs "opens a door to French cinema". Thanks to comedies like Tout simply Noir by Jean-Pascal Zardi and John Wax or  Divorce Club by Michaël Youn, whom he cites as possible locomotives.

New films on the program

“I fear that things will not really resume before the fall, disputes Arnaud Vialle. We will have to hold out until then, because opening our rooms is expensive. Unless certain promising films, seeing the congestion looming for the start of the new school year, change their strategy by advancing their release. "It is not too late to advance programming: this period offers great opportunities," promises Richard Patry. It remains to be seen whether distributors will want to try their luck. "They would see that we see more and more people every day in our rooms," says Marion Lebeault, managers of the 4 Venys in Brie-Comte-Robert (77). Something to find a smile.

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