Transcript author: Edgar Gallart

00:00:06:23 Buenos días.
00:00:09:04 Everyone sorry that I don't speak Spanish.
00:00:13:14 That's not an issue...
00:00:16:19 So, allow me to continue in English.
00:00:21:04 I'm here from ARTE.
00:00:24:09 And ahead of fiction of ZDF ARTE
I'm going to explain what that means,
00:00:31:01 and therefore, I'm in charge for all
00:00:33:12 fictional programes coming
from the German site of ARTE
00:00:39:10 co-production, acquisitions of movies,
series, short films and TV dramas.
00:00:47:11 Maybe a lot of you have
heard about ARTE
00:00:50:13 Let me just go back in history to explain what it is.
00:00:53:00 ARTE was founded in 1991
00:01:00:00 and we went on air on May 1992.
00:01:06:10 So for now, 26 years we are on air.
00:01:11:06 ARTE is a
French, German cultural channel.
00:01:15:06 That means, cultural means that there are no sports
program, no entertainment program.
00:01:22:09 It's a public broadcasting system.
00:01:24:23 So there is no commercials,
no advertising.
00:01:28:22 The focus is on fiction and documentaries.
00:01:33:12 We have, of course, other programs
like ballet operas, from time to time.
00:01:41:13 Um, but the programs are
not just French or German.
00:01:46:00 It's European.
00:01:47:02 We consider ourselves
as a European channel.
00:01:49:21 And there since the very beginning,
I started the cinema department
00:01:55:17 in the headquarter,
which is based in Strasbourg.
00:01:59:14 I have to imagine,ARTE from the
professional interest...
00:02:04:23 ... imagine it like a triangle:
00:02:07:23 We have one side: it's a French side called ARTE FRANCE
00:02:11:19 and then you have the German ARTE side
00:02:15:02 which are shareholders of the broadcaster
00:02:18:11 in the middle,
which is based in Strasbourg.
00:02:21:22 So in Strasbourg,
00:02:24:14 what is done there, is the programming.
00:02:27:23 It's a definition of the slots.
It's a second language version,
00:02:34:07 or we have more language versions
00:02:37:09 and
00:02:39:03 the shareholders are financed,
00:02:41:20 our artists is one of the shareholders.
00:02:45:02 So we finance ARTE basically
00:02:49:14 for everything like that administration,
00:02:51:21 the salaries of the people working
in Strasbourg,
00:02:54:07 but basically the programmes we
deliver to ARTE to be shown on ARTE.
00:03:01:23 I started my career
inside the artist system
00:03:06:00 which I kind of
co-created with other people
00:03:10:11 in Strasbourg, as I said,
00:03:12:17 and then became very quickly the head
of the cinema department there
00:03:16:15 being in charge to develop the profile,
the editorial profile in terms of movies
00:03:24:08 together with the German and the French site.
00:03:26:09 We very quickly decided
to focus on European movies.
00:03:35:06 We very quickly decided also not just
to buy films, but also to invest in films,
00:03:42:07 co-produced films,
which we are doing since then.
00:03:46:13 And we are basically working on
what you say Auteur cinema,
00:03:53:09 so director driven movies.
00:03:58:13 So over the years we sharped that profile.
00:04:03:12 We became the French and the German site
ARTE particular
00:04:10:20 we became, I think, one of the
driving forces for an independent cinema.
00:04:18:17 In the moment we are producing
00:04:21:03 in my department, we are co-producing,
I would say, about 20 movies per year.
00:04:29:18 20 to between twenty five.
00:04:31:23 The French said it's about the same
00:04:34:18 and movies means movies that are decided for theatrical release
00:04:39:01 and not just for TV.
00:04:44:09 We are
00:04:46:13 facing nowadays this later, of course,
new competitors, you know,
00:04:51:09 the streaming platforms
which are starting to chase the directors
00:04:56:00 we're working with or
buy them out already.
00:05:00:01 So that's an issue for the future.
00:05:02:01 But for the moment,
00:05:04:06 we still survive instantly when
the market changes, of course.
00:05:10:21 So we have to.
00:05:11:17 In the beginning of October, we were
the only one working in European films.
00:05:16:17 And when I moved
in the year 2000 and moved to the ZDF.
00:05:22:10 So out of ARTE, directly to one of the shareholders,
00:05:26:19 ,
and I became in charge of fictional programs.
00:05:30:13 Since then I developed
00:05:33:00 the more... our profile
became more international.
00:05:37:21 It is no more just just European films.
00:05:42:05 We are now co-producing films all over
the world, basically in Latin America,
00:05:48:07 and starting something
already in South East Asia
00:05:53:22 and to try to support filmmakers
00:05:56:17 which have difficulties to get their
films financed in their own countries.
00:06:01:13 So international co-productions
are kind of survival for them.
00:06:07:22 We work closely together in my department
00:06:10:17 with theatrical distributors
and also real estate company in order
00:06:15:23 to find strategies for the
films we are involved in
00:06:20:23 and in that respect,
00:06:23:02 I think the only one
in Europe working like this
00:06:27:08 nowadays
00:06:29:15 we have...
00:06:31:14 So I'm always asked what kind of films
00:06:36:22 you're looking for and I don't
really have an answer for that.
00:06:41:07 We are open to all kinds of things.
00:06:44:05 We...
00:06:46:22 We work with first time directors as well
00:06:49:11 as the established directors
and we work with established producers as
00:06:55:17 well as new producers will
be quite open with this.
00:06:58:18 We have developed...
We have different budgets.
00:07:02:17 So one is designed more for beginners
00:07:06:01 for the first, second and third film.
00:07:09:23 And then another budget is
for more established directors
00:07:15:09 of filmmakers and another budget
is for acquisitions.
00:07:21:01 And inside of acquisitions is
something what we call it's a "prebuy".
00:07:26:06 So we are not actually coproducer,
00:07:28:22 but more like a financial investor based
either on the script or on the rough cut.
00:07:35:15 We started working with a lot of projects
00:07:39:06 and in quite an early phase, depends
on the director, we came with
00:07:45:20 just the idea with the speech
00:07:48:20 from a director to me or one
00:07:50:18 of my colleagues and goes to the treatment
also, the treatment...
00:07:55:11 ... nowadays, I think,
it's not that necessary, frankly.
00:07:58:05 It's make it more difficult.
00:08:00:04 So and then we
00:08:03:06 we
00:08:05:00 started working with writers and directors
and producers on the script,
00:08:10:12 and so we're working with them until the
script project is ready to shoot.
00:08:16:11 Parallel to this is the financing.
00:08:18:17 We are ZDF, which is Germany's biggest
national broadcaster, public broadcaster.
00:08:27:01 We have broadcasters and you said
the and was national and public
00:08:32:19 and with several channels
and activities is one of them.
00:08:38:14 So ZDF is, for example,
00:08:42:20 financing or co-financing
all the funds in Germany.
00:08:46:12 Film production in Germany is basically
00:08:49:12 financed through public funds,
regional and national funds.
00:08:53:04 And ZDF is in all of these funds
00:08:56:13 with money and with people
in the commission.
00:08:59:07 So we have quite
an influence on what and how
00:09:04:11 other financial structures of films,
which we are involved in.
00:09:12:06 We went to his script.
00:09:14:16 Of course, the story for us
is something important.
00:09:18:17 We like contemporary stories.
00:09:21:12 Often we go back, sometimes
we have historical ones.
00:09:24:11 If it's of any interest,
00:09:27:23 We... I try to avoid projects which deal
with the Second World War, for example.
00:09:35:06 We have enough of that to be seen.
00:09:38:23 So, it's basically contemporary stories.
00:09:41:16 And this part of my department which deals
00:09:44:22 with beginners, it's only
contemporary stories.
00:09:47:11 So the idea is really to discover in Europe
00:09:54:12 worlds or circumstances on that other people live,
00:10:01:15 it's like you see it like a journey
00:10:05:09 through European landscapes and cities
and mentalities and things.
00:10:11:02 And, well, this is also international.
00:10:13:16 So that's our basic concept in reading our approaching to scripts.
00:10:21:06 And then, of course, is.
00:10:24:04 The the signature of the director,
00:10:28:04 which is was important,
00:10:31:00 if you talk about
00:10:33:16 established directors,
or more known directors.
00:10:36:12 If you ever drop some names, you might
understand what I'm talking about.
00:10:40:17 So, we were working with
00:10:44:08 in Europe, with Lars von Trier,
00:10:47:11 Ben Hamo,
00:10:49:22 Claire Denis,
00:10:55:04 Aki Kaurismaki,
00:10:59:10 Anderson
00:11:03:00 we've got some more known names,
but also of young directors,
00:11:10:03 which we like right now with the Turkish
00:11:13:13 director, called Emin Alper,
third film, which we co-produced.
00:11:18:20 We have a Greek director, Syllas Tzoumerkas
00:11:22:17 which is also a third film,
which we co-produced.
00:11:26:12 Both films just about to be
ready and shown.
00:11:31:14 I don't know when I'll come
00:11:33:18 and mentioning this festival that is also
00:11:36:17 one of the criterias when
we go in to work on projects
00:11:43:16 for us, it's important and I think
of our experience required and all
00:11:51:23 we know well, which kind of film might
00:11:54:16 have a chance to be selected
for a major festival,
00:11:58:22 as you can imagine, for all this
00:12:01:20 Auteur driven cinema films,
00:12:03:15 it's important to have a festival or a big
festival as a platform for the visibility
00:12:09:06 of the film, for the reputation
it starts to the year,
00:12:13:00 and that as a broadcaster,
00:12:15:02 when we show the film, we can
profit from that in the last years.
00:12:19:23 We also start, for example,
because it's not only the production we're
00:12:24:00 talking, we have to think about
also how the food can be seen.
00:12:28:13 So we are working on on the social media.
00:12:34:16 So following the film on social media.
00:12:37:14 So we think that it's important to do we
00:12:41:14 produce for our website interviews
with the directors of the actors,
00:12:48:09 which will be shown then when the film is
premiered somewhere in the cinemas
00:12:53:03 and later when it's screened
on ARTE you can you can see it again.
00:12:58:17 We experiment with sort of
00:13:03:05 the making of VR making-ofs , VR film
00:13:09:13 short on the set during
the filming of a film.
00:13:14:05 So we do all kind of things to to to start
the creative promotion of the projects
00:13:20:09 which we are involved in.
00:13:25:16 ARTE is a separate station, which
00:13:29:10 it's kind of, you know,
that it was an idea of.
00:13:33:10 Président François Mitterand,
00:13:35:02 and the German chancellor
Helmut Kohl, you know,
00:13:40:06 France and Germany come together again
getting closer and so,
00:13:45:07 apart the Airbus industry,
which is basically French or German, they
00:13:48:13 thought something cultural has to happen
and the result of it was ARTE.
00:13:54:06 And so in the very beginning,
it was very interesting to see two
00:13:59:14 different mentalities of working
and working together, of decision making.
00:14:04:19 And
00:14:06:16 interestingly enough, there was never,
00:14:08:22 ever, ever really a difference in in our
in our relation with movies.
00:14:16:10 So the drama side
00:14:19:20 represented basically by me,
00:14:21:12 I have to say, and my French colleagues,
we kind of agreed on what kind of movies
00:14:26:13 we like, what kind of movies we should
co-produce or aquire for ARTE.
00:14:32:11 And we fought for
00:14:36:22 slots
00:14:38:19 in in prime time to show European films,
basically in the original version
00:14:47:08 in prime time.
00:14:48:18 And that was very successful
in the beginning.
00:14:51:00 But it's a very complicated structure.
00:14:53:02 It's like, you know,
like a political thing.
00:14:56:02 So the people, you know,
directors of programming, president may
00:15:00:19 change all the time,
like every four or five years or so when
00:15:04:16 it's finished and it's German
and each one has his new ideas.
00:15:08:04 And unfortunately,
00:15:09:10 after seeing over the last year of cinema,
is the victim of all these new ideas.
00:15:14:04 So the ratings, which didn't
play any role in the beginning,
00:15:20:19 and they shouldn't actually in a cultural
program, ratings became more an obsession
00:15:26:04 of the people, you know,
presidents and directors or whatever.
00:15:30:01 So I think that movies,
00:15:32:12 especially this kind of movies we are
co-producing, are not good for ratings.
00:15:36:23 So it's getting more
and more difficult to even .
00:15:39:13 This comes to be green lighted
00:15:42:00 and later and if this comes
to be programmed on a,
00:15:46:00 you know, at a time of the day,
which people are still awake.
00:15:51:21 Also, one of the major things which
00:15:55:10 occured over the last two years is that
they want all the films to be dubbed.
00:16:00:20 I mean, it's been you have all
00:16:02:03 of that tradition movies being dumped
for theatrical release in France.
00:16:07:12 It was the of the case,
but nowadays it's too.
00:16:10:11 So all the films and French TV
are dubed in Germany.
00:16:13:13 It was soon after the war
we started dubbing.
00:16:18:05 And that is kind of devastation.
00:16:20:12 it's kind of losing a bit
00:16:22:02 its originality, I'd say.
00:16:26:02 So we always understand
our mission still is.
00:16:29:05 So we have to find programs and that it's
not just movies or documentaries
00:16:36:00 which kind of
00:16:39:01 incorporate the European idea of,
00:16:41:16 you know, no borders and free
exchange of expression and visions.
00:16:48:15 And that is going back under this,
00:16:52:23 I would say,
under the pressure of the ratings,
00:16:55:20 which is something which is not good for
any culture or TV in whatever country.
00:17:03:07 I think..
00:17:05:00 ... Also nowadays some
corporations with other countries.
00:17:09:20 At the moment I think it's Austria,
Switzerland, Finland and Belgium,
00:17:18:16 Czech Republic, Luxembourg,
00:17:22:18 there was once with Spain, I think
that stopped and, you know, with Italy
00:17:29:19 and stoped also after the new government.
00:17:34:09 So and that exchange needs
00:17:36:22 a corporation and certain programs,
either fictional or documentary.
00:17:41:15 So when the budget comes from
the public broadcasting,
00:17:45:05 let's say the Czech Republic
and from ARTE, so it's a combined budget.
00:17:54:09 Yes, so we are
00:17:57:09 we are still believing, you know,
00:17:59:06 basically in cinema and in quality cinema,
although we, of course,
00:18:04:18 have to face the fact that in theatrical
cinema it's going down and even on TV.
00:18:12:09 And just last year, for example,
00:18:15:13 to show you what the tendency
is in Germany is
00:18:19:06 we act in
00:18:22:05 foreign films in Germany,
in German TV, free TV, not pay TV,
00:18:29:10 TV premiere.
00:18:30:11 So when they were shown for the first time
in Germany, we had , in 2008,
00:18:35:10 513 premieres
and to 2017
00:18:42:05 445.
00:18:48:22 So it's going down.
00:18:51:19 Also, the number of foreign
films in German TV
00:18:55:22 dropped from 10800 and something
00:18:58:15 to 8300
00:19:01:18 is an enormous number.
00:19:03:01 You have to know
00:19:05:00 that in German TV and we have like 35 or
40 free TV channels, private and public.
00:19:14:13 I think it's like 12000 to 13000
films being shown per year.
00:19:21:10 In other companies have to have an ARD,
00:19:24:18 and so it is a shareholders of ARTE in Germany
00:19:30:00 premiered movies which are shown
for the first time on TV droped from 2013
00:19:35:21 from 107
to 91.
00:19:39:23 ARTE, and that is an exception,
00:19:42:11 2013, we had 74 premieres
00:19:47:00 and in 2017, 97.
00:19:53:05 So it's an increase.
00:19:55:16 The same goes generally for movies
00:20:00:13 in the Public Broadcasting System.
00:20:02:21 It dropped from 866 to 780.
00:20:07:10 Whereas in ARTE we
00:20:10:15 and it's a small channel, we raised
00:20:15:00 from 2013 to 2017 from 346 to 361.
00:20:23:11 So that's like range, which still
shows that movies in ARTE
00:20:27:19 is a major asset in the program.
00:20:30:08 More generally on TV and in Germany,
but also in Europe,
00:20:36:06 the number of films is going down.
00:20:40:21 It's replaced by serious
00:20:44:07 one of this because I'm in charge
of a series as well, mini series.
00:20:50:20 And and the variety of films is not
that big in in at least in German TV.
00:20:59:00 And I think in France it's
more or less the same.
00:21:02:00 So
00:21:04:09 most of the films and German TV
are American movies.
00:21:10:08 The second
00:21:12:07 highest number of films is German movies
00:21:19:00 than French and British.
00:21:21:16 It's about the same like 2017,
because on that they have to act like
00:21:27:18 twenty one films from France
and forty one from the UK and two
00:21:33:00 from Spain.
00:21:35:10 They had like in last year,
00:21:38:13 eight hundred one hundred eighty
American movies, basically classic.
00:21:44:12 We had 140 German films
00:21:47:20 and two French films and fifty three
from the UK and none of Spain.
00:21:59:03 But that's going to change hopefully.
00:22:01:13 So
00:22:03:03 this year four countries,
00:22:06:21 France, Germany, the US and the UK are
in general and German TV, for example,
00:22:12:06 the most dominant countries,
and Spain depends and Italy is the same
00:22:18:04 and and the rest of the
world is even worse.
00:22:21:13 I have to say,
00:22:24:00 I think we are the only one
00:22:26:07 in Germany showing films from China,
for example, or from Japan.
00:22:37:00 And as one German private TV channel
00:22:41:13 shows,
some Chinese are more like Hong Kong
00:22:44:13 movies like, you know,
this martial art things,
00:22:48:16 but the quality of films from Asia,
it's only the ones showing that these
00:22:55:20 films are acquired by us
and by our French partners.
00:23:02:23 How do you approach acting?
00:23:07:11 And as I said very often,
00:23:09:13 maybe not the people you worked
with before, with the directors,
00:23:13:00 we start maybe from the idea that come
to me and say, listen,
00:23:16:16 I have that story about the woman
and the boy and, you know,
00:23:21:02 this kind of thing.
So we just start discussing it
00:23:23:06 for a scribble and then back to the toward
the and then comes a script.
00:23:28:17 And we continue to discuss.
00:23:30:06 Now, basically, is
00:23:34:11 our system of production works like it's
good for France as well as for Germany.
00:23:40:11 So if it's, let's say, a project
from Spain, as I'm sitting here,
00:23:47:04 it has to have a German,
00:23:48:19 when you work with us, German coproducer and
00:23:51:06 you work with the French side,
you have to have a French coproducer.
00:23:56:11 These producers
00:23:59:01 submit a project to us.
00:24:01:20 On the French side,
00:24:06:00 the French side decides they have a reading
committee and then a selection committee.
00:24:11:07 So the results from the reading committee
00:24:14:01 are presented by my colleague
and the Finnish side to his selection
00:24:17:18 committee, and they vote on their
decide upon the project.
00:24:22:14 We have a bit different system.
00:24:25:12 We don't have a reading committee.
00:24:27:15 I mean, we are all reading all
my stuff is reading, of course.
00:24:31:14 And then I make the decision
00:24:34:06 after all the discussions about
the project and discussing the group.
00:24:37:19 And then I make a final decision,
00:24:39:16 but I have to submit
the project then to ARTE, the broadcast,
00:24:45:20 remember, the triangle in the middle, and they decide
upon there's a board who decides on every
00:24:51:03 single program coming from the French
or from the German side.
00:24:54:22 It's called a conference of program and
it's made all of people in Strasbourg.
00:24:59:12 So the director of programming,
00:25:01:00 as well as the German and French
representative of the system.
00:25:04:02 So they're discussing this
and about the project.
00:25:06:17 And it's a slightly different
00:25:08:23 way of working, for example,
00:25:10:21 why we say it's necessary
for us to overturn corporatism.
00:25:14:12 First, our legal department is happy
because they can make the contract
00:25:18:00 in German and not in another
language they don't know.
00:25:22:13 The second,
00:25:24:09 as I mentioned, that the F is a partner,
00:25:27:04 a member of all of these funds,
regional funds and national funds.
00:25:31:06 A producer can submit this project to one
of the funds,
00:25:35:08 basically the region where either he
shoots or he's living or he has his office
00:25:42:00 and he can get an additional, you know,
00:25:45:15 additional money for for them,
for the budget of the film.
00:25:49:15 Of course, in Germany,
00:25:51:00 it's like you have to spend the money
you receive from one regional fund.
00:25:55:10 You have to spend usually like one hundred
and fifty percent of it in the region.
00:25:59:19 And that can be done if it's not possible
to short, because when you shoot a film
00:26:03:23 in the desert African desert Sahara, it's
hard to find that somewhere in Germany.
00:26:09:23 So basically it would be either Talon's or
00:26:14:00 crew members, insurance
or production and etc.
00:26:17:18 , which would be done
in the region in Germany.
00:26:22:00 But the funds like to like to
00:26:25:02 like to be the films made in the region.
00:26:27:13 For example, last Trier, not the last one,
00:26:31:18 the Czech put his new film, which will be
released, I think it's been Sukma is one,
00:26:39:19 but the first before he shot
in and in North Hollywood studio,
00:26:44:00 which is the federal district in Germany,
where the richest regional fund.
00:26:49:07 So like
00:26:52:23 Christ and things like this,
they were ultrarich in Germany
00:26:56:13 because we have this dark forest
and he loves that.
00:27:00:05 And it's very easy
and a good crew and so on.
00:27:04:11 But it has to do with the fact that we are
very involved in that and the funds were
00:27:09:17 involved in it and so the money
could be spent in the region.
00:27:13:17 So also a lot of films
00:27:16:14 from other countries partly shop,
for example, and some German region.
00:27:20:21 When when you talk about interiors,
00:27:23:18 I could produce the film
in Israel, an Israeli film
00:27:29:00 will give on quality,
00:27:31:03 will make the band's visit his next film
00:27:33:11 after this was the time you shot
in the studio.
00:27:38:10 And no, we're not in the studio
00:27:39:21 in a hangar near Frankfurt in an abandoned
hangar of the US Army in Frankfurt.
00:27:46:21 And so they've transported an old
00:27:49:00 apartment and made the film
basically played in one apartment.
00:27:52:13 So and the apartments are small.
00:27:55:13 So they kind of brought everything
00:27:57:12 from Israel, for example,
to create an apartment only do the rooms
00:28:02:18 were larger than they actually
are because when they were.
00:28:06:11 The camera movements and yes, oh,
and the phone, see if we can do that,
00:28:12:19 as long as there are kids involved and we
know that the film will have a career
00:28:17:03 and it will be shown
at the entrance and an and on TV.
00:28:22:08 So this is a reason why we say,
you know, it makes sense for us to have
00:28:27:11 a German coproducer.
00:28:28:18 I'm born in France.
00:28:30:17 It's crazy to see how
00:28:35:22 the system is a bit more rigid
00:28:38:06 than in Germany and still less flexible
for coal production in France,
00:28:44:03 also with Arctic funds than
it is on the German side,
00:28:48:08 but basically from the structures.
00:28:51:00 So we have to find a French
producer in order for you to
00:28:56:23 produce a film,
a feature film with with Aki.
00:29:05:14 Then
00:29:07:12 what happens, then you shoot the film
and then it's fine and we come back
00:29:13:00 from either maybe going to
send someone to make something about
00:29:17:11 the shooting, my French
colleague, who always goes to the shooting
00:29:21:17 because he is interviewing
the director for his block
00:29:26:22 and we don't do that.
00:29:29:00 And we come back.
I'm like the French.
00:29:31:09 So we come back for the Oscar
00:29:34:16 and we discuss with the director,
of course, the rough cut,
00:29:38:22 the different versions and discussing
means we are not imposing anything.
00:29:45:09 So it's always the filmmakers film.
00:29:47:22 In the end, it's not often.
00:29:49:16 So respect his vision, his convictions,
00:29:53:12 but we try to be as
helpful as possible with all our
00:29:59:12 experience and maybe knowledge
and simple questions.
00:30:04:02 Why is that?
Their way is not working.
00:30:06:11 Don't you think we need
that scene in that scene?
00:30:10:06 It's distracting.
So we were trying to it's a dialogue.
00:30:13:18 Basically, it's a a and
basically it's some directors
00:30:18:08 and others don't.
00:30:21:10 Others don't even talk about the after
show character,
00:30:26:01 especially over the last two years
of funny for me, a couple
00:30:30:13 of the last five or six,
Ichiko was making films, for example, and
00:30:37:06 there was something
in the beginning which I have an idea on.
00:30:42:01 OK, and then came a script
by shooting next month.
00:30:48:09 It was not very script kind of script
and I said, OK, because you don't want to
00:30:53:13 what he does and then
you don't hear nothing.
00:30:56:23 And then an invitation comes, OK,
come for the screening.
00:31:01:17 And he calls it as a screening
of family and friends.
00:31:04:12 So us it's a rough cut
00:31:06:14 and but the film is completely
finished with English subtitles.
00:31:12:14 So when it's perfect,
so there's no no dialogue, nothing.
00:31:16:11 It's only the beginning and the end
and the beginning is not our goal.
00:31:20:22 And in the end is a lot of alcohol goal,
even more Alako when the film is finished
00:31:25:07 and being invited to to a festival
and there a party and then that's it.
00:31:32:08 And various other directors,
00:31:34:16 you can see my scene sometimes and
sometimes they need it or they want it
00:31:41:06 and you try to improve the films.
00:31:45:21 So
00:31:47:15 the kind of films we are making, it's
00:31:51:02 the last year and tried to to to open
a bit the kind of films we do.
00:31:56:08 So we are not just the pure one,
it's called Arktos.
00:32:02:07 We do that as well with people like
Pinchuk on call time and director
00:32:10:11 with just now with the colors
they got us of ethical Mexico.
00:32:17:18 This is, you know, one side of the coin
and the others is like more
00:32:23:15 accessible films, more or
00:32:27:02 less artistic films, but still good films,
more entertaining films.
00:32:32:05 We are great now.
00:32:35:10 We invested in Spanish in Spanish
00:32:41:03 animation film about the young one year.
00:32:44:17 It's just finished now
and don't ask before the total.
00:32:47:22 Forget it.
00:32:48:22 It's animation film about the early years
of release when you when you become
00:32:54:20 a film maker.
00:32:57:16 I think it premiered on a special festival
00:32:59:22 and the festival animation
festival in Los Angeles just now
00:33:04:20 and won an award.
00:33:06:02 As far as I understand, we are
involved in a big production in Spain.
00:33:14:09 It's a trilogy.
00:33:16:00 The first one is ready and was more
less successful in Spanish cinemas.
00:33:22:02 The Invisible Guardian,
based on three novels by a writer called
00:33:27:05 Golos and Gondo, kind of mistake
for a new kind of thing.
00:33:31:19 So we decided to to invest in that
project, which is like it's a thriller.
00:33:38:08 It's a big production
and production value.
00:33:42:12 We also invested, for example,
which was in some of the bastion
00:33:47:09 in competition, high life
science fiction film
00:33:51:19 by the French director who was not known
00:33:56:02 whose films sort have I think
it's the festival program I saw.
00:33:59:20 So that is the latest film with
Robert Pattinson and Juliette Binoche.
00:34:04:00 So it's a bigger film also.
00:34:06:13 It's kind of strange,
unusual science fiction film,
00:34:10:17 so you see that variety between genre
and and and and the mixture.
00:34:19:12 And all of it was screened in Spain
00:34:22:03 about that film, a little
Portuguese movie called Boys.
00:34:25:02 Many Good Manners.
00:34:26:21 It's a well, wolf movie.
00:34:30:15 It's hard all, but it's like a werewolf.
00:34:35:07 It's also a drama.
00:34:37:11 It's a musical.
00:34:38:16 It's a romantic comedy.
00:34:41:02 So wild mixture of of styles.
00:34:45:21 So we try really to catch somehow of our
00:34:48:15 choices and what creates
the world cinema and its and its wishes.
00:34:56:05 And and at the same time,
we have to think about an audience.
00:35:01:02 And as I said, radio shouldn't
play a role, but they do.
00:35:05:00 So this is a reason why I am, for example,
invested in this Spanish trilogy,
00:35:12:18 also working with series.
00:35:15:18 I observe there is
a change in the reception
00:35:21:04 of series that is for
00:35:23:19 broadcasters
00:35:26:02 and the World Series on Amazon
00:35:28:09 and at Netflix and the so-called
binge watching on free TV.
00:35:33:21 That's a little problematic because your
program like one or two episodes per week.
00:35:39:15 So there's no binge watching
on free to be possible.
00:35:42:22 And you can see that, you know,
00:35:44:22 getting the ratings OC Weekly lessons
was going down, down and down.
00:35:49:15 Whereas when it's online and you do
everything online and also it's ratings
00:35:54:13 going up at the same time because
the people want to see it
00:35:57:23 as soon as possible and as complete
as possible in the shortest time.
00:36:03:06 So our conclusion from the point
of programming on free duty is to produce
00:36:11:14 trilogies.
00:36:12:21 So they mentioned Spanish one,
which will be shown when it's really like,
00:36:16:22 I don't know, on three days
or maybe on Monday.
00:36:20:13 We did a couple of years ago,
00:36:23:14 as many as the Swedish
one called Easy Money
00:36:27:10 with young directors,
00:36:29:23 and that was it.
00:36:31:11 It's a story about holding
the crime scene in Stockholm
00:36:36:11 from former who was living
in South America.
00:36:39:17 So there's no Swedish guy and almost no
00:36:41:21 police, and it's only
in the individual of gangsters.
00:36:47:02 And that was interesting because the first
two
00:36:50:08 of the three films were directed by young
directors with an immigrant background.
00:36:55:12 So one was from from from South America or
00:36:59:08 the parents refugees
and the other one from
00:37:04:12 Iran, so and so.
00:37:08:08 And that's sort of interesting.
00:37:09:23 So that a special point of view as
00:37:12:01 filmmakers on the society
they're living in.
00:37:16:14 So that is my whole point of view.
The series.
00:37:19:20 And Perugia's, I'm investing more and more
in this kind of trilogy's because I think
00:37:25:04 for free TV programming, that's
the way to catch to keep the audience.
00:37:30:08 We fixed
00:37:32:02 the first of this, which is that they have
Cocodrie, which was the Millennium saga,
00:37:36:00 which was the first in cinemas and then
on TV three months and six months.
00:37:40:14 And you had different edited version
00:37:44:04 and that was highly successful.
00:37:46:11 And it is still now this kind of this
formula works very well for a free TV.
00:37:58:03 What kind of city with is the.
00:38:00:09 So often maybe, I don't know if I can
actually show the website may be
00:38:06:07 one part of it now is there are some
programs where the rates are clear or
00:38:12:09 they
00:38:13:18 are shown in different languages.
00:38:16:23 So it's Spanish, for example,
00:38:20:00 but also Polish.
00:38:21:10 I think the Italian nowadays.
00:38:24:13 I mean, you know a fact.
00:38:48:16 Everything on the.
00:38:54:15 And briefly to the Spanish side
immediately.
00:39:06:02 All of these are future films.
00:39:08:10 So it's basically documentaries.
00:39:16:15 So he then conceded
00:39:19:12 that suspending some.
00:39:22:04 Click here, you see the other languages.
00:39:26:22 It's like French, German, of course,
English, Polish and Italian.
00:39:31:21 And these are
00:39:36:03 these are films made documentaries
where we have the rights,
00:39:42:17 which are subtitled in Spanish.
00:39:45:09 And then
00:39:49:04 and the idea is to make
00:39:53:21 sure we don't have partners
00:39:55:07 in the countries TV station like in Spain
for the moment.
00:39:59:12 It's anyway to to spread the programs
00:40:03:18 in as many countries as possible
because I think it's financed
00:40:08:08 this is financed by the EU.
I think.
00:40:12:00 Right.
00:40:12:08 If you're on to something for the Russians
and you could see what kind of films you
00:40:19:00 can see on TV, what kind
of documentaries you can see on afte.
00:40:26:09 As I said, there's no movie
because we don't have the rights.
00:40:32:09 But there is something about
00:40:36:09 what Active could co-produced a film
called The Bible for US
00:40:42:04 and the documentary, and I think we can
buy some films of possibility to show it.
00:40:49:09 Sowe have one art.
00:40:52:02 We have at the moment officially
five slots for films.
00:40:56:00 It's on Sunday.
00:40:57:09 And this is kind of like family films.
00:41:01:00 Good for the ratings.
00:41:02:06 Unfortunately, most of them were American
00:41:06:06 on Mondays and primetime.
00:41:09:15 We have classic cinema,
a lot of them Americans and French.
00:41:16:14 And then in the second half we have
00:41:18:07 something called Ketel Club,
which is more like genre films.
00:41:22:22 This can be from all over the world.
00:41:25:16 On Wednesday in primetime, we have
00:41:31:00 European premiere European International
and a new set of our new films.
00:41:37:12 And later in the evening,
we have a different second slot
00:41:41:03 for what you call discoveries,
where our films basically co-production,
00:41:46:19 where our film shown, which may be
less accessible or half an age rating
00:41:53:19 so that we can show that
in in in the primetime.
00:41:57:17 So these are five slots
per week, per week.
00:42:01:16 Then we have another one.
00:42:05:12 Thursday's series
followed very often by a film than we have
00:42:12:15 on Friday, we have TV drama
and in Germany, the difference between
00:42:18:12 a TV drama and the film is
almost non-existent
00:42:23:04 because all the movies,
German films co-produced produced
00:42:26:22 by the TV drama departments
and the TV is involved.
00:42:30:22 And apart from that, we have
a short film program and magazine.
00:42:38:16 So I think that's the only magazine,
00:42:40:23 as far as I know,
who is talking about the short film makers
00:42:44:07 and the festivals and what kind
of trends are in whatever country
00:42:49:23 right now.
There was a special edition about
00:42:53:11 addition about Switzerland,
Swiss short film makers, for example.
00:42:57:21 And we have something
00:43:00:08 which I think not very
often you can see that it's
00:43:06:19 silent films,classics.
00:43:09:19 So especially from the that we
are very much involved in
00:43:15:12 in
00:43:17:14 the restoration.
00:43:19:01 And
00:43:21:08 and that's a French signal.
00:43:23:20 And there's a restoration of films
00:43:26:10 and in the production of co-production
of the musical score.
00:43:31:12 So
00:43:34:06 that means
00:43:35:23 if there is an existing score,
00:43:39:17 which may be usually they'd never compete.
00:43:42:10 So
00:43:45:11 we complete the score
in the sense of the original
00:43:50:05 or if there's no score available, we asked
00:43:55:08 modern composers to write a sound
track for a silent movie.
00:44:01:05 What we're looking there for a kind
of dialogue between modern music.
00:44:06:05 And I'm not talking about music.
00:44:08:04 It's more like, you know, contemporary
classical music and the silent film.
00:44:13:00 So we want to establish
a dialogue between these two mediums.
00:44:17:02 And this is very successful.
00:44:18:17 And usually it's combined with
public screenings or life
00:44:23:14 with an orchestra or whatever is
a band or an orchestra.
00:44:29:05 We do that every second year during the
film festival and our next project,
00:44:36:10 next year, 19 is a huge one.
00:44:40:02 It's a novel.
00:44:41:19 It's a French.
00:44:43:01 It's level.
00:44:44:17 The goals are because
it's like seven course the film.
00:44:50:00 So
00:44:51:17 we are
00:44:54:09 composing partly
we commissioned the composition
00:44:58:05 of for that film seven hours long,
which is really a task which will be
00:45:04:12 which will be performed live
in Berlin and in New York,
00:45:10:18 the festival.
00:45:13:21 So this is also one
aspect of kind of things.
00:45:16:22 What we do on art, especially on active
00:45:20:17 use here on the website,
is like what's rolling there?
00:45:24:03 That is what's
00:45:25:16 actually going on in the program right now
on Peterman's, the French series,
00:45:32:00 the team, its German,
Danish, Belgian serious
00:45:37:07 coconut's Lars.
00:45:40:06 And you can see them all online,
00:45:42:19 of course, and you can see them
on the normal TV
00:45:48:07 when I go to
00:45:50:11 the cinema website.
00:45:59:14 To see what was shown
00:46:02:21 now margin call,
00:46:06:10 I don't think I can tell you why
we shouldn't have him on TV.
00:46:11:00 Maybe it was available,
00:46:13:17 but the ratings were not that good.
I know that.
00:46:17:00 It's like
00:46:19:14 this is what I mentioned.
00:46:21:04 This is in cinemas right now and they have
produced and making off in 360 degrees.
00:46:28:05 So this is very interesting to go to go
00:46:31:00 on the set and see even more
than anybody else on the set,
00:46:36:07 because when you you know,
00:46:37:16 when you have these glasses,
you can go around, you see whatever.
00:46:41:08 It's quite amazing.
00:46:46:06 This is a documentary about.
00:46:52:13 We have a lot of is basically the French
00:46:54:18 said, to producing just for the Internet
and there are documentaries about certain
00:46:59:23 subjects,
you know, like here the farmers
00:47:02:17 in the cinemas or KISS's or
Cigarette's or whatever you find.
00:47:08:15 We put online masterclasses,
which were either held in
00:47:15:04 the Cinematheque in Paris or
in the Film Museum in Frankfurt, which
00:47:21:17 you can see the Kubic
exhibition here, which was
00:47:27:08 comes from Frankfurt.
00:47:31:08 These kind of things.
And you
00:47:33:23 can go down.
00:47:37:13 And when you click on this, you come
00:47:40:00 closer to that.
00:47:47:00 Some films are on demand for Internet
use, the short films,
00:47:55:13 and they stay like for one
month or three months, they're.
00:48:04:07 You see, we have we for a while
an experiment on a magazine or a silent.
00:48:15:05 Silent film makers and cinema,
00:48:18:01 American cinema,
and which is kind of combine the images
00:48:22:08 from the Times with the kind
of commentaries from today.
00:48:29:06 So this is what half of us are much
more than just producing films.
00:48:34:13 So also producing
documentaries about films.
00:48:37:18 And when we have
00:48:41:02 a certain director that documentaries
either quiet if it does exist or foreign
00:48:47:10 born or produced in terms of programming,
we also have some
00:48:53:15 great it's
00:48:55:15 it's what's called the art
of film festival going on.
00:48:59:14 So or a period of two weeks we are showing
only films which were co-produced by.
00:49:06:19 You for the artist.
00:49:08:06 So these are all TV premieres
for the first time shown on TV.
00:49:12:20 This will be continued and December
00:49:17:00 by a purely online festival.
00:49:19:22 So films which didn't find
the theatrical release,
00:49:24:02 not at all or not yet are
00:49:28:22 you can go like into virtual cinema
and discos all over Europe.
00:49:35:02 So with the subtitles in many for many
European countries and the cinema,
00:49:41:00 the size of the virtual cinema is
in regard to the size of the country.
00:49:46:05 So you can buy because you're nothing,
but you can buy the ticket.
00:49:50:10 And when it's sold out, it's or.
00:49:52:08 And when you have purchased
buying the ticket,
00:49:55:04 you can see whatever film it's on,
the program you can see in your country
00:50:00:20 in your language,
subtitled in your language.
00:50:03:11 So you've got countries like Germany ever,
00:50:06:14 because cinema in France is more than
radio has a small cinema.
00:50:11:13 So there are only a few people and this
is not the third year we're doing this.
00:50:17:22 It's technically a bit complicated.
00:50:20:17 It was know we were working with a
00:50:23:15 professional streaming platform and
cooperation and we see how that works.
00:50:28:06 And
00:50:29:20 this is the reason why we do this is
00:50:32:22 because we see that,
you know, normal, free TV,
00:50:38:07 it's not coming to an end.
00:50:39:18 I mean, most of the people still watch
it in front of them when you talk to TV.
00:50:44:16 But
00:50:46:08 there are other ways of distributing
your products and your films.
00:50:50:13 And basically, I think that many films
produce a lot of money for production all
00:50:57:01 over Europe, but not enough
money for distribution.
00:50:59:21 And and the numbers
in the beginning, I told you
00:51:04:15 it's an indication of how what kind
of films are being acquired by TV.
00:51:09:23 And it's very rare nowadays that even
00:51:12:11 public broadcasters acquire films
from other countries.
00:51:16:14 So I don't know, switch
00:51:19:19 when the last,
00:51:21:06 let's say, the film was acquired
by a public broadcaster in Spain,
00:51:27:00 maybe not that often that's going
00:51:28:21 to happen, but the same goes
for Germany on this film.
00:51:35:05 Reacquired was I think it was either.
00:51:40:08 So that's quite some time ago.
00:51:42:10 And of course we could produce films.
00:51:44:15 But in terms of acquisitions and films
which are released theatrically from other
00:51:50:12 European countries in your own
territory, it's really difficult.
00:51:54:14 And the fact I mean,
the as I mentioned earlier,
00:51:58:00 not just coproduced,
but we have quite a lot of movies and we
00:52:01:04 acquire these films and the theatrical
distributors because we know
00:52:06:02 for them is essential
to sell a film to TV.
00:52:09:18 Otherwise it's very difficult
for them to continue their work.
00:52:13:10 So instead of what honesty is,
we buy films at the at
00:52:18:21 that festival distributor
in order to help them to survive.
00:52:23:11 You also help in paying, for example,
for the dubbing,
00:52:29:20 because in eastern Germany,
people like Stuart Black,
00:52:32:11 even these kind of films they like
to see dubbed and it a lot of money.
00:52:36:10 So all these small distributors, you know,
00:52:38:14 they don't have enough money for
the partner and and the public.
00:52:43:07 So we help them pay for the dubbing
00:52:47:07 because we want the films really
to be seen on the big screen first.
00:52:58:04 In any anyway, you can see that, you know,
00:53:01:02 originally when I when we started
that there was not one line.
00:53:04:08 And so we have to go with the
times and we have to invent
00:53:09:17 new,
00:53:11:13 I don't know, models of distribution
for the films which we like,
00:53:15:11 which we could produce and which we
want our audience to be seen,
00:53:21:20 and that I don't know where we're
going to be ending all this.
00:53:26:03 As I said, we don't have
problems to find projects because
00:53:31:00 there are so many films still produced,
despite the fact that, of course,
00:53:36:12 Netflix and Amazon
are there on the market.
00:53:39:20 But they I mean, they're hardly hardly
00:53:46:00 could produce this kind of films.
00:53:48:02 We are producing also
00:53:53:07 the directors I've worked with over
00:53:55:06 the years whose films are off Netflix,
and they are not really happy about
00:54:00:02 that as a director, because
what happens to them?
00:54:03:09 I mean, we're all used to have an
extra exchange with the audience.
00:54:08:17 So they go and look at films
to the festivals and even
00:54:11:19 on the Public Relations Board and film is,
you know, released in whatever country.
00:54:16:19 And for them to have a
00:54:19:12 personal reaction from the audience,
00:54:22:11 a discussion,
it's essential for them to understand,
00:54:26:00 you know, if they make themselves
understand that the people like the films,
00:54:30:17 you know, and they told me, yes,
we got the money, that's great.
00:54:33:23 But we don't know what
happens with our films.
00:54:36:22 We don't have any reaction.
00:54:39:00 We don't know how many people, what
kind of people are watching the films.
00:54:42:04 We only got some money.
00:54:43:10 So it's very frustrating for them.
00:54:45:21 And there always
will be discussions nowadays between
00:54:49:19 the sales company and the producers
and directors, directors.
00:54:54:02 What's to be going out and being seen
by the people physically, somehow?
00:54:58:22 And the other ones just
want to make money.
00:55:02:00 And I understand completely
00:55:04:16 the director's point of view.
00:55:06:03 Also in our contracts,
for example, the slot
00:55:11:07 is excluded.
00:55:12:23 So all the films we are producing
00:55:16:22 can't be shown on the platforms
before we yes, we have broadcast.
00:55:22:04 And that means two years after
the theatrical release and after we
00:55:27:00 broadcast it once, it then goes
to that from its plan for us.
00:55:31:02 But like this, we also
00:55:34:08 enable, you know,
the space for the director to meet his
00:55:37:20 audience because our TV
doesn't meet the audience neither.
00:55:40:00 And and we respect that wish
00:55:43:09 for the directors, you know,
to have an exchange with people.
00:55:50:07 Now you are there. I have been already one hour.
00:55:54:23 So, are there any questions?
00:55:58:23 Or add something, I don't know.
00:56:01:08 So I'm here, it doesn't mean
that you have to finish.
00:56:04:00 You mean maybe you won't.
00:56:05:18 But I know we open the mic for our audience.
00:56:13:15 If may be they are still sleeping.
Oh! Thank you, everyone is sleeping.
00:56:21:20 It has not been provoked by you, don't worry
00:56:23:18 And maybe I start with a question and I
00:56:25:16 By the end of your discourse
you touched one of the hot topics.
00:56:32:07 You say that there is
money for production
00:56:35:05 but not that much for distribution.
00:56:38:08 And...
00:56:40:15 do you think that that situation is
going to change in sometime soon?
00:56:47:11 SoonI don't know, but it has to change
because what you do with all the films
00:56:52:07 which are produced?
00:57:02:15 And there will be a moment with fundraisers,
00:57:06:08 private or public,
00:57:08:05 and ask you: what happens to our money?
00:57:11:10 where are the films to be seen?
00:57:15:16 Can we expect to have
something back from our money?
00:57:17:21 and... which is usually not the case...
00:57:20:05 So, and I know that there are discussions
and there was in Brussels, I think,
00:57:24:07 or somewhere and starting discussing how
how to improve distribution.
00:57:31:21 But
as far as I'm not a specialist in this,
00:57:35:06 but I think that's the crucial thing
for the survival of this kind of
00:57:41:03 director's driven cinema,
which we are working in.
00:57:44:21 And maybe you also would
like these kind of films.
00:57:48:03 It's either the budget films which are
commercial thus they make the money or
00:57:53:12 in the near future on a very low,
low budget, which doesn't cost money.
00:57:57:15 And so every every euro you make
is already a plus in the movie.
00:58:02:15 The difference between, I don't know,
00:58:05:00 two and a half million euros, for example,
the kind of middle range that you think
00:58:13:13 that there are many
00:58:17:10 of these films for that reason will be
difficult and it will be difficult to.
00:58:22:03 In the future,
00:58:24:00 in the moment, not to get financed,
but frankly, I do not recall
00:58:29:23 to arrive to an audience,
you want to give the extreme there or
00:58:33:06 there and and as far as you can see it,
and there's not going to redistribute you.
00:58:39:11 So as in the rest of the society,
things with Suffering's million plus.
00:58:49:00 Maybe
00:58:50:08 I wouldn't have anything better than.
00:59:22:14 And I was wondering if you
I am director of the Craft Film Festival,
00:59:27:18 which from my previous films,
which is really a reason to move through
00:59:34:02 the transition right now.
00:59:36:00 And I was wondering if you're going
00:59:39:00 to kind of film
00:59:42:18 that they are
00:59:45:20 going on.
00:59:47:09 I did you did he get
00:59:51:00 what kind of films micro about micro
budget films, micro budget films?
00:59:57:17 Actually, we don't buy films
according to the budget.
01:00:03:06 We don't care
01:00:06:02 about the budget.
01:00:07:02 It's just, you know,
we buy the films are very good.
01:00:10:11 Yeah, it was done with a lot
of money or little money.
01:00:13:20 And we don't care.
And we have
01:00:17:19 to stop this because we have a range
of international film, Khurram.
01:00:22:03 So, you know, you can send the films
01:00:26:17 to us
01:00:28:20 and give them one call you.
01:00:31:08 My department was already working on short
films, for example, and we do like films.
01:00:36:09 I think if you talk about I don't
know if your feature length.
01:00:40:03 Feature length.
OK, thank you.
01:00:51:17 Right,
01:00:52:22 when he said that they were happy this
thing is 100 percent of the building has
01:00:58:02 to be shot in Germany or France,
but maybe I misunderstood.
01:01:02:04 So not that was I think it was
about the regional funding.
01:01:08:15 So co-production with Germany
01:01:11:16 when when they got the money
from whatever regional fund,
01:01:16:05 let's say they got
01:01:18:05 100000 euros from the fund, then you have
to spend 150000 euros in the region,
01:01:25:05 not the film them just
01:01:27:17 linked to the budget,
01:01:29:15 which comes from other money,
which comes from the
01:01:32:19 people's.
01:01:36:17 I
01:01:38:00 do not
01:01:39:15 know
01:01:43:13 how many first time directors of films did
you produce in the past 20 years? I mean,
01:01:52:09 what's the access of first time
directors to do?
01:01:56:00 I think,
01:01:58:08 as I mentioned, we have
sort of two budgets.
01:02:01:15 One is exclusively for beginners
01:02:04:02 and then it's beginners,
meaning up to the third film,
01:02:08:18 but usually starting with the
first or then the next two.
01:02:11:13 Maybe if they're not shooting,
01:02:14:01 then we talk about budget, if they're
extending the show to the limit.
01:02:17:17 So if the first film is done for one
01:02:20:03 million and the second for 10 million,
we don't even get from that budget.
01:02:25:00 So it's like every year it's six films.
01:02:32:05 International
01:02:34:17 future German sexto.
01:02:38:22 OK,
01:02:40:13 I was wondering,
which is the procedure for a rough cut?
01:02:45:09 I mean, you talking about the producing,
what you do about the way regional farmers
01:02:51:14 involved, but about Africa,
if a producer from Spain asked me in this
01:02:57:11 case, sent you or show you a rough cut,
what is next steps?
01:03:04:19 And if and that is only my of is not
01:03:08:17 afraid to say, do not
know the results of things in this case.
01:03:13:00 There is a French coproducer in.
01:03:16:16 Yeah, maybe.
01:03:17:22 But the thing is, like after false
Suderman, it's called the production.
01:03:22:22 They don't do it like this.
01:03:24:11 They don't watch your rough cut
of a film which are not involved in.
01:03:27:22 So what do we do when we see a rough cut
and we like the film, we buy the film,
01:03:33:19 we invest in the film.
01:03:36:01 So usually the are sent to us
from producers.
01:03:40:15 Of course, the original producer doesn't
01:03:43:07 have to be a co-production
for us at the moment
01:03:47:12 when we like the rough cut
01:03:49:18 and we have to submit it, of course,
to get green lighted by the whole board.
01:03:55:15 But if that is the case, we make
the contract direct with your original
01:04:02:06 with the main producer.
01:04:03:15 In that case, you as the Spanish producer.
01:04:06:03 And because at that moment of the rough
cut, we know that, you know,
01:04:10:08 you need some money to for the final
finalization, for the post-production.
01:04:15:04 And we pay we pay in these
kind of cases like,
01:04:19:19 I don't know, eighty thousand euros
01:04:22:16 for one to two runs
in France and Germany, TV,
01:04:28:22 cinema, everything is free, of course.
01:04:31:09 And for a period of one maximum two years
01:04:38:15 plus online, like seven days cager.
01:04:43:09 And then we have, I mean,
our logo on the in the credits, whatever.
01:04:52:01 Over a billion dollars.
01:05:12:04 Pepino, thank you for Anastacia,
speaking about your experience
01:05:18:13 in terms of documentary, what
kind of topics are you looking for?
01:05:25:01 Last most.
01:05:29:14 As you can see on the website before,
there are a lot of formatted documentaries
01:05:34:15 format, it means like, you know,
between 26 and 52 minutes
01:05:39:23 wildlife historical subjects
are social subjects, cultural subjects.
01:05:47:03 You know, like the one
01:05:48:12 where I went to do a documentary about
possibilities, like a cultural duck.
01:05:53:23 I guess you were talking about
a feature length documentary.
01:05:56:22 You want to know about that?
01:06:00:04 Featuring documentaries.
01:06:03:11 Unfortunately, I've decided some years ago
01:06:07:16 to escape that slot that we had
for feature length documentaries.
01:06:13:00 I never understood why.
01:06:15:08 And I mean,
01:06:18:00 one of the reasons might have been
01:06:20:13 that the ratings were not that good
because it was basically because weekly,
01:06:27:03 as far as I remember,
weekly and basically creative
01:06:30:05 documentaries and with the change of the
directors of programs would come and go.
01:06:35:11 And since when I started it, for example,
01:06:38:13 after I did the programming together
with the director of programming
01:06:42:10 for my films myself,
you know, nowadays in every TV
01:06:46:23 you have a bureaucracy,
you have people planning the programming,
01:06:51:00 and that's that's the death
of creating a creative TV.
01:06:54:23 And it's really a problem for tell,
to my point of view.
01:06:58:17 So one result of that structure becoming
a more bureaucratic people planning,
01:07:05:00 thinking that might interest an audience
there and there and more of that.
01:07:09:15 And that led to the fact that they just
01:07:13:08 can't cut down this slot
for the creative documentary
01:07:18:07 feature length documentaries,
which is really bad, really bad,
01:07:22:17 because it was a unique
point for art at the time.
01:07:26:04 Now he comes a little bit back.
01:07:28:13 So on that have we are
involved a year in about five
01:07:34:02 feature length documentary.
01:07:36:12 They don't have a lot,
01:07:39:01 but he's wanted it's not when they
mentioned the word creative documentary.
01:07:44:06 The people are getting crazy.
01:07:46:06 You know, they don't want to get to that.
01:07:48:03 They want to have hot dogs,
whatever that means.
01:07:51:15 Very spectacular.
One spot
01:07:55:23 on the same time.
01:07:57:00 I had breakfast with my colleague
from Romania this morning.
01:08:00:12 I remember that.
I wanted to
01:08:03:12 I wanted to produce
or come on board of lower costs, you know,
01:08:08:20 for a new film
about WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.
01:08:14:19 When I saw.
01:08:17:04 A rough cut of that said,
well, we have to do it,
01:08:20:18 so I would like to come on board of that,
01:08:23:00 and it was turned down
by the director of our team because.
01:08:26:21 Oh, it's because it's a personal
friend of the director won an Oscar.
01:08:33:12 But anyway, so they turned it down
01:08:37:05 because it's nothing new.
01:08:38:20 And no, I think, my God, what did they
see or what what they didn't see.
01:08:43:16 So I can't tell you.
01:08:45:16 I mean, what's always working because we
have on Tuesdays,
01:08:49:00 we have a slot from prime time
for social or political or environmental
01:08:57:22 subjects so they can find
documentaries, let's say, about
01:09:03:00 sugar and what sugar does
to the human body.
01:09:07:20 You can find to find a documentary about
01:09:10:16 Monsanto before Bayer Bought it.
01:09:12:15 and what does to the human body.
01:09:15:07 Yes.
And the brain.
01:09:18:00 And about aluminium
and the effect it has on the environment
01:09:23:14 and on people, you know,
all these deodorants.
01:09:26:00 I didn't know that before.
01:09:28:00 So this kind of social,political
and environmental documentaries
01:09:33:19 for future films other
than that, I mean, we acquired the last
01:09:42:04 Michael Moore, “Where to Invade Next?",
01:09:45:20 which was broadcasted just last week.
For a special programming, we do sometimes
01:09:52:19 ... if you have a subject,
01:09:54:10 we look for programs which fit do that week
either acquire movies or documentaries.
01:10:02:19 That depends on the subject.
01:10:05:10 But that's basically that. So, other
documentaries I'm still working on.
01:10:10:13 I wanted to buy a documentary
about which was in Cannes last year,
01:10:18:15 about an Afghanistan
01:10:24:16 Actor, director, producer, superstar
01:10:29:14 who shoots Michael budget films,
by the way, with the iPhone or whatever,
01:10:34:06 and he's friends with the Taliban
as well as with whatever.
01:10:39:23 And he's a very popular cause,
nothing but a very amusing film.
01:10:45:01 And I got only and it
went well in cinemas.
01:10:48:12 You know, it's released and it's rare
01:10:50:13 for a documentary in France
and Germany and in other countries.
01:10:54:20 And I still didn't didn't get a positive
answer from ARTE if they want the film.
01:11:01:20 So hard times for this kind of ambitious
documentaries on ARTE, unfortunately.
01:11:08:00 - Thank you.
01:11:08:18 Tenim temps per una última pregunta.
(We have some time left for a last question).
01:11:14:20 Si n'hi ha.
01:11:16:12 Sí? AquÍ?
01:11:21:03 Just a quick question, just to know
if you buy movies that are finished.
01:11:30:00 Documentaries of one hour,
for example, like Pasolini,
01:11:31:13 but from other countries and
completely finished.
01:11:42:13 Documentaries, yes if there is...
if you have a context.
01:11:50:17 I mean also that changed on ARTE
and I'm concerned because I'm there since
01:11:54:19 the beginning: the idea for documentaries,
all kind of documentaries, was to say...
01:12:00:02 ... that we want documentaries,
let's say about a country or something
01:12:03:18 about a country made by a film director,
from that country,
01:12:06:05 by a film director from that country,
not by a French or German filmmaker going
01:12:11:03 to that country and making
a documentary about that.
01:12:13:14 We wanted to have the insight and
the mentality of the filmmaker dealing
01:12:20:11 with such subject. But not anymore.
That is gone in ARTE, basically.
01:12:24:05 Unfortunately.
01:12:26:08 So... but yes, we do buy if
there is a context,
01:12:30:06 we would buy documentaries
01:12:33:18 from other countries which finished one.
And the other question...
01:12:37:20 for the TV dramas, GTF TV, ARTE not.
01:12:44:23 Because we could produce them,
We could produce a TV drama if
01:12:51:19 basically GTF , inherently
the public broadcasting system
01:12:55:11 in Germany are really strong
in producing single TV dramas.
01:13:00:03 So we produce... GTF producers per
year, I don't know, 40 to 50 TV dramas,
01:13:06:04 primetime TV drama at least,
and some of them with ARTE.
01:13:10:13 So we don't invest in foreign
TV dramas. ARTE France,
01:13:15:22 because they don't produce TV dramas
ARTE France it's not a station like GTF,
01:13:20:11 they only do the programs for ARTE,
but not for whatever, France Télévision.
01:13:28:10 So they might buy one.
01:13:31:19 Usually it's English language
or British people dramas that they buy.
01:13:44:11 Paco: Estàs content amb la resposta?
Sí, sí, sí, sí. Thank you very much.
01:13:49:20 Even if it was not that optimistic
01:13:54:19 and
01:13:57:04 so,
01:13:58:02 - Vielen Dank
- De nada.
01:14:01:16 Podeu aplaudir.
-Aplause-

00:00:33:00 I'm in charge for all fictional programs coming from the German side of ARTE, co-productions, adquisitions of movies, shortfilms, and TV drama
00:00:45:00 History of ARTE from 1991 to now. French german channel.
00:01:15:00 What cultural channel means. No sports, no entertainment, no advertisement
00:01:27:00 The focus of ARTE . Ficition, documentary... also operas and ballet
00:01:41:00 We consider ourselves European
00:01:49:00 Begining of ARTE
00:02:00:00 Triangle: Arte France, German Arte (shareholders), broadcaster in Strasbourg
00:02:33:00 Shareholders
00:03:27:00 Focus on European movies, to buy and to invest
00:03:49:00 working on auteur cinema
00:04:04:00 driving forces for independent cinema
00:04:16:00 Coproducing 20 movies per year
00:04:36:00 theatrical release
00:04:47:00 facing new competitors buying out directors
00:04:59:00 The market changes
00:05:20:00 ZDF shareholders fictional programs. internationalisation.
00:05:45:00 Latin america, South East Asia,, theatrical distributions
00:06:25:00 only ones in Europe
00:06:38:00 all kind of films are looked for new and not so new producers.
00:06:57:00 different budgets first, second and third film
00:07:43:00 From the idea or the treatment. Working on the script.
00:08:20:00 Financing
00:08:22:00 broadcasters: ZDF and...
00:08:45:00 public funds money and people.
00:09:10:00 The story is important. Contemporary stories
00:09:20:00 Historical not so much but also
00:09:46:00 beginners only contemporary stories
00:10:03:00 A journey through European landscapes
00:10:21:00 The signature of a director
00:10:36:00 Lars Von Trier, Claire Denis, Aki kaurismäki, Anderson...
00:11:08:00 Emin Alper, third film, Syllas Tzoumerkas, Berlin or Cannes
00:11:33:00 Which kind of film for which festival. Visibility of the film
00:12:21:00 Working on social medias
00:12:42:00 web site
00:12:59:00 VR, Virtual reality
00:13:25:00 ARTE is a station from Mitterand... France and Germany
00:13:55:00 Different mentalities involved in decisions
00:14:20:00 Slots in Primetime. Complicated structure, political
00:15:25:00 the preassure of the ratings
00:15:58:00 all films to be dubbed
00:17:04:00 Arte and Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg... Neither Spain nor Italy
00:17:54:00 Quality cinema. Tendency statistics
00:18:34:00 From 530 premieres to 445
00:18:54:00 numbers in assistance and shareholders. First time shown movies, TV premieres
00:20:02:00 Public TV vs Arte
00:20:27:00 movies for ARTE is a major program. The number of films is going down replaced by series.
00:20:59:00 German movies, ZDF, ARTE, American and European movies. None from Spain. U.K.
00:22:23:00 We are the only ones showing movies from Xina or from Japan
00:22:43:00 Quality films from Asia aquired.
00:23:03:00 How to approach ARTE. From the idea to the movie
00:24:18:00 The french and the german comitee.
00:25:08:00 Co-producers, contract in german, regional funds in Germany.
00:25:42:00 150% spent in Germany
00:26:29:00 Example; Lars Von Trier, North Westfalia, Black Forest
00:27:13:00 Shutting in Germany even if the film is based in Israel.
00:28:22:00 German co-producer vs French Coproducer
00:28:36:00 less flexible for coproduction in France
00:29:07:00 When you shoot the film... Presence or not of someone from ARTE during the movie
00:30:01:00 simple questions for a dialogue. Rough cut.
00:30:30:00 Kaurismaki films as an example
00:31:31:00 other directors
00:31:45:00 open the kind of films we do.
00:32:21:00 Accessible films, not so artistic. Invested in Spanish film about Luís Buñuel
00:33:10:00 invloved in a trilogy in Spain. big production, Dolores Redondo. Thriller, big production. San Sebastián, Claire Denis.Au travail... Juliette Binoche Science fiction film.
00:34:22:00 Boas Maneras, wolf movie in Sao Paolo. Romantic comedy, mixture of styles.
00:34:56:00 Think about audience.
00:35:25:00 The series from Amazon and Netflix. Bench watching. Online ratings
00:36:03:00 Our conclusion is to coproduce trilogies.
00:36:25:00 Easy Money, a crime movie in Stocholm
00:36:58:00 emigrant actors.
00:37:57:00 The streaming and website in ARTE
00:39:02:00 Spanish site of ARTE and other lamguages
00:39:35:00 Films documentaries subtitled in Spanish
00:39:50:00 the idea is to make, to spread the programs.
00:40:34:00 Pasolini
00:41:05:00 Kino club, European premieres, discoveries.. 5 slots per week.
00:42:03:00 Series, films, TV drama,
00:42:35:00 short film proram
00:43:05:00 Silent films, classics, ZDF envolved in the restauration of silent movies and coproduction of the musical score.
00:44:31:00 Every second year, 2019 La Roue, Abel Gance 7 hours of original score. Berlin Festival.
00:44:38:00 French series coproduced. can be seen online and on normal TV
00:45:58:00 Cinema website. "High Life" de Claire Denis in 360º.
00:46:45:00 Documentary. Les pères au cinéma. Masterclasses, Tom Cruise musicals...
00:47:40:00 Arte Cinema Website. Films that are purchased for the internet only for a few months, 2 or 3 months.
00:48:23:00 Silent movies
00:48:35:00 Coproducing documentaries about films.
00:48:58:00 Over a period of 2 weeks only films produced by ARTE.
00:49:06:00 TV premieres. Purely online festival. Films that did not find theatrical premiere release.
00:49:22:00 Virtual cinema. Size of the country. Tickets as lonk as it is not sold out. Third year doing this.
00:50:34:00 Normal free TV is not coming to an end. Virtual Cinema is a new way of distribution.
00:51:19:00 Polish films purchased by public TV
00:53:00:00 Online new models of distribution. Projects are not a problem to find.
00:53:43:00 Directors are not happy when their films are purchased by Netflix. Netflix pays the money but the directors do not see their public.
00:55:08:00 2 years after the theatrical release.
00:55:41:00 Respect to directors.
00:55:56:00 Any questions?
00:56:26:00 Xavi G. Puerto: Hot topics. There is money for production and not so much for distribution...
00:57:27:00 How to inprove distribution. Survival of director's driven movie.
00:58:02:00 Medium range budget from 2 to 6 million euros.
00:58:18:00 There is not yet a really strategy.
00:58:57:00 Craft Film Festival, third edition. Very low budget films. Micro-budget films
01:00:01:00 we do not care about the budget of the movie.
01:00:27:00 Do movies have to be coproduced either in Germany or France?
01:01:03:00 Coproductions with germany: for every 1 euro of public funds, 1,5 euros have to be spent in the German region.
01:01:32:00 How many first-time directors in ARTE?
01:02:00:00 Two budgets. One specially conceived for first time directors. 6 films per year. German films not counting.
01:02:38:00 Procedure of the roughcut. Next steps.
01:03:21:00 ARTE France do not whatch roughcuts, German ATE does.
01:04:18:00 Post-production 8000€ for ... in two rounds
01:05:18:00 Formated documentaries, 26 - 52 minutes. Social, historical, cultural documentaries
01:06:02:00 Feature length documentaries: We do not do it anymore due to the ratings
01:06:36:00 Programming feature films documentaries
01:07:11:00 ZDF 5 feature length documentary per years. Hot documentaries, spectacular.
01:08:11:00 Julian Assange movie turned out because of being a "personal movie"
01:08:50:00 Health documentaries.
01:09:39:00 feature films Michael Moore... Subjects
01:10:05:00 Afghanistan micro-budget movie Nothingwood. Salim Shaheen, Sonia Kronlund
01:10:54:00 Do you buy finished movies?
01:11:44:00 Context-depending
01:12:39:00 TV dramas are usually co-produced. Not purchased. 50+/- per year
01:13:14:00 ARTE France does not produce TV dramas. They might buy english spoken dramas.
01:13:54:00 Applause

Credits:

Duration: 1h 14m 12s

Recorded at: 21.11.2018

CCCB,
En el marc del
25è FESTIVAL DE CINEMA INDEPENDENT DE CATALUNYA,
L'ALTERNATIVA presenta a
Meinolf Zurhorst del Departament d' adquisicions i co-produccions del canal franco-alemán ARTE.
La ponència va ser part de la secció VER PARA CREER, dins de la 9ª jornada l'Alternativa Professionals.

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