They signed a platform together to challenge the French president on this subject. They describe a “nightmare” for their industry.
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This Wednesday, no less than 800 film professionals joined together to support a column, notably published in The world. They ask in their letter that the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron do what is necessary to reopen the dark rooms. Among the signatories, we find Marion Cotillard, Guillaume Canet, Pierre Niney, Léa Seydoux, Chiara Mastroianni, directors Jacques Audiard, Laurent Cantet, etc. They mention in particular their ” feeling of being eradicated ”And justify their appeal by scientific data on this issue.
Towards the “catastrophe”
In their forum, the signatories describe their frustration at seeing cinemas and theaters closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while stores are open. ” The nightmare that the cinema industry, its workers, is experiencing is not so much that of the year 2020, admittedly extremely difficult, but indeed that of the next two or three years. ».
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« Each week of closure adds to the disaster on the move “, They are alarmed, specifying that they are worried to see” the future of a mortgaged profession, as completed films pile up on distributor shelves every week ». « We have to get back to normal. Of course, by implementing a strict health protocol, we are in complete agreement. And besides, it had been applied between the two confinements. We are ready to start over, but now it has to stop. We have to reopen. That people have the choice to be able to go to the cinema and the theater ».
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A highly criticized government measure
To support their decision, they say that the cinemas are closed ” in the name of a principle of health precaution, however contradicted by an opinion of the Scientific Council of October 26 and by the ComCor study of the Institut Pasteur of December 10, 2020 “. In the same vein, a study dating from February 2021 and written by the Hermann-Rietschel Institute in Berlin estimated the risk of contamination in different types of establishments. Result: provided the barrier gestures are respected, the danger is minimal in cultural places compared to schools. Compared to a virus circulation index of 1, theaters, opera houses and museums have a rating between 0.5 and 0.6. For cinemas, it is between 1 and 1.1 and without mask. As for secondary schools, this reached 2.9 with mask and an occupancy of 50%. Without a mask and with full occupancy, it rises to 11.5.
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Last December, the French Prime Minister estimated that a reopening of cinemas was still impossible. “We must avoid population concentrations and stay at home as much as possible” to avoid a third wave, he said. Belgium, the Federation of Cinemas hopes to reopen early enough to take advantage of the Easter holidays and eagerly awaits the arrival of prospects from the government. The next consultation committee will take place this Friday.
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