By Cannes Delegate General Thierry Fremaux, who is famous for his role running the French city’s famed film festival every year, has delivered a keynote address at the Goteborg Film Festival that offers an interesting take on one of the great filmmakers.
Fremaux spoke about Netflix’s continued absence from Cannes in recent years after the festival allowed Bong Joon Ho’s “Okja” and Noah Baumbach’s “The Meyerowitz Stories” to screen there out of competition back in 2017.
He said he invited the films to screen to promote a dialogue between exhibitors and streamers:
“For us, it was important that this discussion could take place in Cannes, and it took place quite violently, but it was a way for us to create a dialog with the platforms”.
Sadly it proved a one-time visit by Netflix as the festival made clear that movies have to abide by France’s long theatrical window to play in Competition.
Fremaux then went on to say the quote that has raised eyebrows – that he considers films made for streamers to have a significant artistic difference to those produced and released in cinemas, citing David Fincher as one who has gone over to the other side:
“He [Fincher] is still a great filmmaker, but he doesn’t exist at the same level in our hearts and minds as in the past. He wants to work alone, quietly, making his films for platforms. It’s a different world. We miss him. We want him back in our world.”
Fincher’s latest feature “The Killer” was produced for Netflix and debuted at last year’s Venice Film Festival. Fremaux was more open to what Apple did with Martin Scorsese’s “Killers Of The Flower Moon” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” – theatrical first followed by streaming debut months later:
“What Apple has done with the Martin Scorsese film and the Ridley Scott film, they have made a lot of money at the box office, and now the films are on the platforms. Which to me is the perfect reflection of our times.”
Unfortunately, Fremaux glossed over that the films made $157 million and $218 million, respectively – decent, but a very long way from box-office profit considering their price tags.
‘Flower Moon’ is currently available on Apple TV+ whilst “Napoleon” is now out on PVOD – its Apple TV+ date has yet to be set.
Source: Deadline
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