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Emmanuel Cuénod • Director, Geneva International Film Festival, Connect to Reality

"We wanted the industry to talk openly, with clarity and with passion"

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- LOCARNO 2017: Cineuropa meets the Director of the Geneva International Film Festival, Emmanuel Cuénod, who speaks to us about the ‘Connect to Reality’ initiative

Emmanuel Cuénod • Director, Geneva International Film Festival, Connect to Reality
(© Locarno Festival / Marin Mikelin)

Emmanuel Cuénod is the Director of the Geneva International Film Festival, which will host the third session of ‘Connect to Reality’ (the first of which took place at the Locarno Festival - click here for our coverage of the first session). He speaks to us with passion about this innovative project which is creating a space for debate on the future of Swiss cinema. With many ideas already put forward and the desire for dialogue proving strong, we look forward to the next stages of the programme (2 October at the Zurich Film Festival and 7 November at the Geneva International Film Festival).

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Cineuropa: What was the outcome of this first ‘Connect to Reality’ session in Locarno?
Emmanuel Cuénod:
We wanted the industry to talk openly, with clarity and with passion, and we also wanted to put Swiss industry professionals in touch with international guests who were coming to share their expertise. In this sense, it was a success. We did notice a huge gulf between industry professionals who work in the same domain but who have entirely different views on what actually constitutes a success. In terms of looking into the potential shake-up of the incentive and funding system, we got the impression that the majority of people would be receptive to this, but we still need to find the right way to go about it. The process would have to be broken down into a number of stages, and it would take time.

We also noticed an ideological and generational divide, between those professionals who had contributed to the development of the current system (back in 1992) and who are still very attached to it, and a whole new generation, myself included, who think that after 25 years, things need to change. We need to use the legal, judicial, industry options that are available to us, and set ourselves goals that fit with a globalised world where digital technology players are now active in audio-visual broadcasting.

What were the ideas that came out of the round-tables?
One very important proposal currently being devised by Swiss industry professionals is a system based on ending the usual sequence of film distribution. The idea is to have more flexibility in the distribution order rather than abandoning it completely, making it possible for individual distributors and producers to decide on different film distribution sequences for each project. The law shouldn’t define release windows; broadcasters and producers should be free to define their own strategies, with the help of a suitably flexible law. This is a complete break with the current system. If we manage to create a space to trial such a system in Switzerland, where the usual sequence of film distribution isn’t abandoned, but rather the rules on film distribution sequences aren’t so rigidly fixed, I believe we will also have created an example for the rest of Europe which could be reused, or simply discussed.

There was a lot of discussion about the Swiss system, in its entirety, shifting focus towards external markets. Today, when making films in Switzerland, we have to look more towards co-production in order to increase our chances of accessing real markets. If we work together in close and sound partnership, and if we capitalise on our diversities, our differences, and our multiple identities and create consensual frameworks through which each of the regions can express their true selves, then we should be on the right track. The culture of a nation is represented by the moving image, and the moving image can take many, varied forms. We need to put money into virtual reality, young talent, co-productions.

Can we talk about Swiss cinema in its entirety? Are industry professionals finally ready to talk to one another?
In Switzerland, we work on a regional basis, and not just for cultural reasons. There are different sensitivities at play and those who make up the viewing audience are not all looking for the same thing. In German-speaking Switzerland, there is a type of star system that you don’t see in French-speaking Switzerland or in Italian-speaking Ticino. Cinema-going habits are different in each of the three linguistic regions. Similarly, in French-speaking Switzerland, going into co-production with France is a natural process, we share the same language and the same culture. It’s not the same for German-speaking Switzerland: the people speak different dialects and there exists a film “mini-market”, which is a strength, but also a weakness when it comes to exporting. This leads to difficulties in co-production, and feelings of cultural identity loss which are far greater than in French-speaking Switzerland. The big festivals are a gateway to the international market and if we want to gain access, we need to capture the imagination of the public so as to stand a chance at competing.

We’ve had so much positive feedback from young producers, directors, etc. They’ve said to us: “It’s been years since we talked to one another like this. You’re showing us that there is another way for Swiss cinema, and it’s a way that we believe to be more sensitive to the needs of young people looking to work in the industry.” It would be wrong to deny the existence of a generational crisis, just as it would for an ideological crisis. Switzerland is the land of direct democracy, so obviously we would like the cinema system to be democratic and more direct, but the problem is that we don’t have the resources to please everyone. It’s not a question of simply modifying the system, but rather of profoundly changing it.

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(Translated from French by Michelle Mathery)

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