Brussels, 22/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The cultural world, particularly people working in European cinema, is calling on politicians to ensure that the words of support for the protection of cultural diversity in Europe are turned into deeds through the allocation of sufficient resources and legal protection to allow stakeholders to defend themselves. The dominance of the United States, lack of resources, respect for minorities, and the opportunities and dangers of the new digital platforms were other matters discussed at the European Parliament workshops on cultural diversity, organised at the EP headquarters on 16, 17 and 18 October in connection with the Lux Prize for the film judged by MEPs to contain the clearest European dimension (see EUROPE 9517).
In her introductory speech, EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding spoke about the wealth of European culture, which was put into practice by cinema. She regretted the problems faced by films when it comes to distribution in other countries, stressing that Europe must not get left behind in the digital age, as the internet can be a wonderful way of distributing films and expanding the industry. New technology provides an outlet for creativity, she explained, and if Europeans managed to solve the problems of online content and distribution, the industry could grow 400%. She said that she would be publishing a report on online content before the end of the year.
During the first workshop, 'A Soul for Europe: European cinema', French film director Cedric Klapisch said the wealth of Europe was also its problem - everyone has their own baggage but there is a common knowledge and a common identity, and Europeans' greatest suffering was the fact they are not aware of this. French PES MEP Henri Weber brought up the huge difference between European and US cinema. European cinema focusses first and foremost on national audiences and then might possibly make it abroad, whereas Hollywood aims at various worlds brought together on the same continent and also aims at the rest of the world. He said that if Europe continued to produce a very demanding type of film, artistically speaking, it might be able to survive but it was not easy to reverse the current trend. In the United Kingdom, for example, (but the phenomenon applies in all European countries and even in other continents), 90% of the films distributed are American, 5% are British and 5% are either from other European countries or from elsewhere in the world. Romanian film-director Radu Mihaileanu raised the question of funding, which had to be mixed because if there was only private funding, profit would be the only objective, which would lead to a uniform type of cinema to please the masses.
The second workshop, entitled 'European cinema facing new challenges', raised the question of representation of cultural diversity on screen. Sue Caro, Diversity Manager at the BBC, explained the massive importance granted by UK public broadcasting to the generation of varied programmes targetting different ethnic communities in the UK. There are also competitions (like the Iris Prize for the best multicultural programmes or the Europa Prize for the best television or radio programme broadcast beyond national borders) which help ensure cultural diversity and the distribution of programmes. But the panel pointed out that the true challenge was the internet and digital cinema. While the internet allows people from all four corners of the planet to meet up online, it also creates a monoculture through the use of the dominant language (English) and a universal communications style. Likewise, while digital cinema allows perfection of images and sound and a serious saving in the number of reels needed to distribute a film, it remains a serious threat to the European cinema industry, particularly small experimental or arts cinemas which do not have the resources needed to invest in the costly equipment needed to transfer films to digital format. In this area too, the United States is a serious threat because it currently monopolises patents for the only existing system cinemas can use to obtain films in digital format. Xavier Merlin of the 'Centre national de la cinematographie' in France said the danger was becoming dependent on digital manufacturers who would be left to choose the most profitable content to the detriment of diversity. New technology also facilitates pirating. He said pirating had to be fought by making the general public more aware of responsible behaviour, particularly young people, and developing legal products at attractive prices. Access suppliers should also be brought on board in terms of funding creativity, said Merlin.
The third and last panel looked at existing instruments for protecting the diversity of cinema. nesco's Convention for Cultural Diversity, currently ratified by 67 countries, most of them European, is a good basis for strengthening the role of culture but it will remain inefficient without the will of the different countries to implement it, emphasised Yvon Thiec, delegate general from Eurocinema. Although member states ratified it unanimously, under the supervision of the European Commission, they also, at the same time, submitted a disconnection clause (with legal value), stipulating that the Convention will never be substituted for European law. In other words, provisions on culture introduced in the new European treaty will remain the reference and the Convention will only have symbolic value, explained Xavier Merlin. The lack of coherency from member states wanting to protect culture but also seeking to impose barriers to it being able to flourish, were criticised by some MEPs: Doris Pack (EPP-ED, Germany), Marie-Hélène Descamps (EPP-ED, France) and Gérard Onesta (France, Greens), Vice president of the EP. They deplored the fact that European policy on state aid, although containing exemptions for the cultural sector, is putting a considerable brake on development of the sector. The public authorities in effect have to very precisely justify aid they intend granting their cinema, according to criteria that is sometimes judged absurd, in an effort to justify, for example, that it is for a “difficult” film they are seeking aid. Pascal Regard, Director of the Society of Authors and Dramatic Composers, declared: “Diversity is not that obvious because every country wants to support its policy and it has to be justified to the competition authorities. Discussions tend to reduce cultural subjects to a sort of ghetto…Every country has the right to freely decide its cultural policy without being linked to the dictates of the economic world”.
In his conclusion, Mr Onesta appealed to the European Commission, particularly its president, José Manuel Barroso (who made an eloquent speech in Berlin, in November 2004, on European culture, intrinsically linked to the European project) and called on them to help promote the expansion of financial resources in the cultural sector to accompany the MEDIA 2007 programme. He deplored the fact that “culture provides millions of jobs in Europe yet remains the budget's poor relation”. (IL)