When Bong Joon-ho presented his black comedy "Parasite" at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, the senior director expressed his concern that the film was "too South Korean" for audiences. He shouldn't have worried. The film was adored by audiences and critics alike, even capturing the first Palme d'Or for South Korea. It turned into a worldwide success, with more than 250 million euros in revenue, even going as far as winning the Oscar for best film in 2020, a first for a non-English film.
It is difficult to imagine that "Parasite" could have known such a trajectory without the Cannes springboard.
The glitter festival hosts the world's largest film market and remains the most popular.
Last year, several authors chose to present their films in the Cannes 2020 lineup, knowing that the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, rather than going to Venice.
Others waited more than a year to present their work, hoping to come to the Côte d'Azur this summer.
>>
In pictures
: Paul Verhoeven, Virginie Efira, Aïssa Maïga walk the red carpet in Cannes
Once again, the Netflix platform does not appear in the selection of films by Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the Festival.
However, we are only talking about her, and all the more so since the pandemic has accelerated the profound transformations underway in the film industry, which sees the position of digital platforms strengthen.
The fiasco of the screening of the film "Okja"
Cannes and Netflix have been at odds since 2017, when the festival caused a very French crisis by including the film "Okja", a feature film by Bong Joon-ho produced by Netflix, in the race for the Palme d'Or.
A decision then strongly criticized by those who consider Cannes as the guardian of the big screen in the face of the deadly Netflix threat.
To stem this fury, Cannes had asked Netflix to allow the protection of its productions on the big screen, where the films are supposed to be shown. But the Cannes screening of the film "Okja" turned into a fiasco. While the curtain was only partially raised due to a technical problem, the appearance on the screen of the face of actress Tilda Swinton had triggered a hubbub. The screening was interrupted for ten minutes in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, a true cinema sanctuary.
The following year, Cannes explained to Netflix that its invitation to the festival was conditional on compliance with distribution rules in France.
And faced with his refusal, the organizers proposed an out-of-competition presence, also declined by the platform.
She then took Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma", winner of the Oscar for best film in 2014 with "Gravity", to Cannes' oldest rival, the Venice Film Festival, which has nothing against streamers.
And "Roma" won the Golden Lion, Netflix's first major success at a renowned film festival.
Cannes' assertive position
Asked about this this week, Thierry Frémaux attacked other festivals.
He explained that some had too quickly authorized films from the streaming giants in competition, without requesting a theatrical screening.
According to him, it has hurt the cinema overall.
"Not only was 2019 a great year for cinema, but 2020 was the most catastrophic year in history for cinema," Thierry Frémaux told reporters.
If he admitted that the health crisis had allowed the platforms to win a "deserved triumph", the general delegate however regretted that this was done at a time when the film industry could not defend itself.
"Some festivals are the first to open their doors a little too freely to people who are not sure whether they want the cinema to survive," added Thierry Frémaux.
And the festival delegate to quote
"
a disagreement" with these companies.
"They employ people from the cinema, but give me the name of a young director that they have discovered? Our mission is to bring out young talents."
The affirmed positioning of Cannes arouses the respect of many lovers of the 7th art, particularly France, which has its film industry and is crazy about its many cinemas.
"Cannes has adopted a courageous position which is consistent with its own definition of what a cinema film is, as opposed to a film for television," director and screenwriter Nathalie Marchak told France 24.
The current stalemate is, however, costly to Cannes and Netflix.
The biggest film festival is probably struggling to have to do without films distributed by Netflix, such as the feature film "The Power of the Dog" by Jane Campion, winner of the Palme d'Or in 1993 with "The Lesson piano ".
Conversely, the unparalleled prestige of Cannes and the media exposure offered by this festival are sorely lacking in the streaming giant.
It is the directors and producers who are really paying the price.
"It is of course unfair that films purchased by digital platforms cannot be released in theaters," said Marchak.
"There are wonderful films that can only be found on platforms and we can't blame the producers for making that choice."
Leave the choice to the spectators
The spectators' decision is also taken into account.
According to director Mark Cousins, the film industry should give them the option of choosing between the small and the big screen
Ten years after making an epic 15 hour documentary series "The Story of Film: An Odyssey" on the history and evolution of cinema, Cousins returned this week to Cannes with an intriguing sequel that analyzes 21st century productions . Created during confinement, "The Story of Film: A New Generation" dissects more than 90 films that take this art to new directions.
"If people want to stay at home, especially those with kids, eating pizza or whatever they like, that's fine with me, so do I. But those who want to see a movie on the big screen must also have the opportunity to do so, ”explains Cousins. For this director born in Dublin and based in Edinburgh, France should be proud of its solid cinema and it has the right to defend this highly prized component of its culture.
"If you have an audience in France that wants to see sublime, epic cinema, then 'bravo' and as long as it lasts a long time," he explains. “It only hurts the cinema if the big films have only one channel to reach their viewers. The cinemas are right to say that it hurts them. They are right because it is not necessary. People should be able to choose. ”Cousins also considers it necessary to recognize the quality of the productions of Netflix, which offers“ a lot of good things. ”He calls for compromise and regrets the macho turn of this dispute between Cannes and Netflix.“ They should kiss and be reconciled. "
This point of view is shared by the president of the Cannes jury, the American director Spike Lee, who made "Da 5 Bloods" last year for Netflix.
According to him, "Cinema and platforms can coexist. At one time, it was thought that television would kill cinema. So this is nothing new."
This article has been translated from English, click here to read it in its original version
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR