Documentary News Letter (1947-1949)

136 DOCUMENTARY NEWS LETTER SURVEY OF FILM IN FRANCE. BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG 'UNESCO Reports' gives a general picture of the scope and principal recommendations of the Commission of Technical Needs. In the first year the Commission has surveyed film developments in France, Belgium. Luxembourg, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece, China, and the Philippines. The information collected is unique and should be widely available. DNL is prop3sing to summarize the main findings in a series of articles. A beginning is made in this issue with France, Belgium and Luxembiurg FRANCE Since the liberation the French Government has adopted a constructive policy towards the film. In October, 1946, a National Cinematographic Centre (Centre National de Cinematographic) was set up under the control of the Ministry of Youth, Arts and Letters. The Director-General of the Centre is assisted by an Advisory Council representing both sides of the industry, and by an Administrative Committee representing eight Ministries. The Cen*re derives its funds from State subsidies and contributions from professional organizations. The functions of the Centre as are follows: (a) to examine draft laws, and decrees; (b) to co-ordinate all branches of the industry, to arrange modernization and development, to collect statistics, to arbitrate in disputes; (c) to supervise financial arrangements and the proceeds of films; (d) to grant loans or subsidies to producers; (e) fo distribute documentary films and develop the non-commercial side of the industry, to organize national and international exhibitions; (/) to arrange professional training; (g) to co-ordinate social work in the industry. Although the French Government has stopped well short of nationalization, the Centre nevertheless occupies in principle a controlling position in the industry. Exhibition Despite the fact that several hundred cinemas were damaged or destroyed during the war, cinema facilities are greater than in 1939. The number of cinemas operating on March 1st, 1947, was as follows: Commercial exhibit ion 35 mm 16mm Cinemas 4,913 1,171 Travelling cinemas 149 4,164 Film Guilds Cinemas 442 — Travelling cinemas — 1,891 The main increase has therefore been in the 16mm field. Cinemas attendances show a corresponding increase. The weekly attendance figure in 1946 was just over 9 million, one million of these being at 16mm shows. Although this figure is still well below the 25-30 million recorded in Britain, it is three million above the pre-war figure for France. Actual receipts, however, continue to be small. It has been estimated elsewhere that the present gross box-office takings are only 6,000 million francs a year (i.e. about £12 million), which is one of the factors contributing to the present financial crisis besetting the French film industry. Two other points are worth noting about 'he exhibiting side of the business. The circuit system is very little developed in France. The biggest of the three main circuits operates a total of 37 cinemas only, a great difference from the mammoth British combines. Moreover, all cinema programmes must, by a law of October, 1940, include only one long film of more than 1,200 metres, in other words the single feature programme is the order of the day. Distribution There are a large number of distributing companies, 90 operating in Paris. All the big American companies have their agencies and also the British Eagle-Lion. The entry of foreign films is controlled by legislation. All cinema programmes must show French films at least four weeks out of every twelve. This is one of the conditions laid down by the Franco-American agreement of May, 1946, by which the French film industry was 'blum-byrned' and brought to its present catastrophic state. The films shown in French cinemas are increasingly of American origin. Of films released in Paris in 1946 the following were the countries of origin: per cent America . . . . . . 46 France . . . . . . 41 England . . . . . . 8 USSR 2-5 Other countries .. .. 2-5 American films are also obtaining an increasing percentage of box-office receipts. Today the figure is 50-55 per cent of the total as compared with 35-40 per cent pre-war. The number of British films shown has also risen, but still does not constitute an important factor. France remains tied to Hollywood. Production Fiance emerged from the war with most of its film production resources intact. Today it has 15 studios with 44 stages in use, and there are a large number of production companies of all types. In 1946, 94 long feature films were produced and about 150 to 200 documentaries, shorts and cartoons. This year, however, the conditions of the Franco-American agreement are beginning to take their toll. Estimated feature production is down to 45. Government finance is available to producers m the form of loans or subsidy, but this alone is of no avail. A draft resolution has recently been submitted to the Second Assembly calling upon the Government to take drastic action to save the industry in its present plight. Already in 1946 French producers made a loss of 1,000 million francs, while production costs are up ten times on the 1939 figures. Since then the situation has become worse and the industry is threatened with complete collapse and the unemployment of its skilled technicians. The resolution put up to the Government proposes cuts in the taxes levied on the industry, more loans to the best French producers, increased exports of French films and above all a revision of the disastrous agreement which Blum negotiated with America. The film industry has been incorporated in the Monnet plan for the reconstruction of French economy and it is to be hoped that some positive action can and will be taken. Films and Education The UNESCO Report also gi\es details of the equipment situation in France and also of training facilities, but the other main section deals with the educational film position. Since 1914 the French Government has taken an active interest in the use of films in education. A central library of films has been in existence at the Musee Pedagogique since 1920. Today it contains some 400 films, three-quarters of which are silent. In French schools there are about 5,000 35mm silent projectors and between 600 and S00 16mm sound and silent machines. In 1944 a committee on educational cinema I was set up to study and promote this use of the film. It is hoped ultimately to expand the library to include some 2.000 films and to install 100.000 projectors, preferably 16mm sound. This development is envisaged as part of the Monnet Plan and is estimated to cost 11.000 million francs, spread over ten years. The committee is to be responsible for vetting subjects for educational films, relying on the Centre National to arrange production, under teacher supervision and in cooperation with private companies. In principle the machinery set up has much in common with what has been planned in Britain. The. use ol foreign films is also envisaged, if thej can be obtained on some kind of exchange basis. This is a point which our own Ministry of Education should go into as soon as possible. Tribute is also paid in the UNESCO Report to the pioneering work of .lean Painlcve at the 'Insimit de cinematographique scientifique' ir the field of scientific film, and to the "Cinematheque I rancaise' for its work in collecting films and documents dealing with the art of the film. The expansion of film societies is also an important factor in French film life. The "Federa