Alexandre Devecchio: “Anti-Bolloré petition, culture against the people”

Philippe Muray would have called them “Mutins from Panurge” or “Rebellocrates”. At the Cannes Film Festival, the 600 signatories of the anti-Bolloré petition, denouncing “L’emprise de l’extrême droite” on cinema, including Anna Mouglalis, Swann Arlaud and Juliette Binoche, shot themselves in the foot. Not only did Maxime Saada, chairman of the board of directors of Canal+, announce that he wanted to boycott them, but they proved right those who denounce a culture under perfusion in the service of a leftist ideology. In truth, the picture is more nuanced. As evidenced by some very fine recent cinematographic successes, the ambitious Rays and Shadows by Xavier Giannoli, powerful fresco on the Occupation, L’Abandon, punchy film retracing the last days of Samuel Paty. Two feature films which benefited from funding from Canal+ and public aid and which have enjoyed popular success. Proof that, if it is necessary to overhaul the vast system of subsidies…