Back to the film theatres

Of course, you can appreciate a film’s qualities when you see it on a small screen, but what about the aesthetic emotion conveyed in the enveloping darkness of a film theatre and the respiration of those who share with you the time of a film? Without fetishising film theatres, we are convinced of the need to keep them open, especially given the current closure of cinemas and the exponentially increasing number of films being put online. Should we be afraid that one day we will have very little choice between the film theatre and the home TV screen?Easy access to films is obviously welcome, but the particular experience of having had documentaries confined for half a century to a small television screen that almost emptied them of their artistic essence is a thought to be pondered.Here, it is not a matter of dealing with an episodic phenomena sparked by the pandemic, but an obviously deep-seated trend. This is why it is vital for us, today, to reflect together, programmers, filmmakers, distributers and exhibitors… on the experience we are living through and prepare ourselves to face as best we can a dreadfully uncertain future for film distribution.Moderated by: Perrine Quennesson (journalist, film and TV series specialist)Speakers: Mathieu Berthon (distributor Météore Films), Arlène Groffe (programmer Ciné 104 in Pantin, and board member of Documentaire sur grand écran), Pierre-Emmanuel Le Goff (founder of  25ème Heure), Bertrand Roger (programmer, Mk2 cinemas), Clément Schneider (filmmaker, co-president of l’Acid), Bénédicte Thomas (distributor, Arizona Distribution)