29/04/2003

France’s National Film Centre (CNC) and the Ministry for Culture have taken control of the National Film Library (or Cinémathèque) and named a number of new board members. Yesterday saw the appointment of two new presidents (ad interim) after the resignation of Jean-Charles Tacchella: Martine Offroy and Humbert Balsam while Serge Toubiana was appointed director general.
The last few years have been turbulent ones for the “Temple of French Cinema”, characterised by financial problems and a general reorganisation in preparation of a move to its new HQ in Bercy, scheduled for 2004.
Filmmaker and former Cinémathèque president, Jean-Charles Tacchella was appointed by the Library in an effort to renew its management. He resigned and accused the CNC of forcing him to appoint Serge Toubiana as the new director general. CNC director David Kessler firmly denied this and confirmed the French government’s intention of renewing the Cinémathèque from top to toe. (The institution is financed by the French government to the tune of 80%).
The Cinèmathèque’s board of administration held an emergency meeting after Tacchella’s resignation, and appointed Martine Offroy (head of the Toulouse Film Library) and producer, Humbert Balsam of Ognon Pictures as interim presidents until the General Assembly is convened on 24 June. Serge Toubiana is a former editor-in-chief of “Cahiers du Cinéma” and the author of a recent report about France’s film heritage. He succeeded Patrick Bensard as director general of the Cinémathèque.

(Translated from French)