« Essential. » It is with this adjective that Canal+’s support for film credits produced by the encrypted channel has been presented for some time. Essential, since the Vivendi subsidiary effectively finances half of French cinema, and also half of the films presented at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Which does not prevent “the professionals of the profession” from whistling copiously every time its logo appears on the screen of the Louis-Lumière auditorium, that is to say quite often… But by what sequence a well-oiled mechanism, ensuring France third place at the global cinema box office, is it transforming into a machine that shoots itself in the foot?
It’s Bolloré’s fault, of course, explains the collective “Zapper Bolloré”, created in haste to protect against “the fascist takeover of the collective imagination” after the billionaire’s entry into the capital of the UGC cinema network. Moreover, didn’t his lieutenant, Maxime Saada, the CEO of Canal+, threaten, during a famous “brunch with the producers” on May 17, of no longer wanting to work with the petitioners?…
We must in fact distinguish two realities: the absolute success of Canal+, whether in terms of the development of its activity (7 billion turnover, 40 million subscribers) or that of respect for the pluralism of film financing – the producer of Souleymane’s story himself underlined this; and then the problematic image of Vincent Bolloré.
The divorce between the 15e French fortune and cultural circles date precisely from his takeover of Canal+, when he had the audacity to question a model which was losing 400 million euros per year. Once the recovery was accomplished, he was able to lead his conquest of Lagardère, using without embarrassment the « combat averages » of his group for its civilizational crusade, the return to a France that was described in the last century as “eldest daughter of the Church”. Its shareholders will appreciate the masterful move by CNews, which became a beneficiary by having chosen the niche, new for news channels, of the expression of the ultra-right; and will regret the drift of Sunday Newspaperwhose abandonment of the transpartisan business will increase the losses.
CNews, JDD, Europe 1… Vincent Bolloré, le télévangéliste de la droite conservatrice
Does all this bode well for “the fascist takeover of the collective imagination » ? Obviously not. On the other hand, the Cannes petition, like the pitiful parliamentary commission on media pluralism in the other direction, is testimony to a polarization of opinions, and particularly those of the bosses. Would Maxime Saada have authorized himself to threaten the small world of cinema with a blacklist if the re-election of Donald Trump had not given the signal for disinhibition? Certainly not. So, zapping?
