Култура

"We came to Velingrad not because it is small, but because it is beautiful and quality" - so with typical French gallantry the attach of the French Cultural Institute explained why along with 10 district centers and in our city is held a Week of French Cinema. The name of the French guest is Hubert le Forestier de Killien, count with pedigree from the end of the 14th century, who is currently working at the Embassy of France in Bulgaria. He visited Velingrad for the opening of the Week of French Cinema together with Antoaneta Dimitrova from "Media Link" - a company that distributes in our country the program of the French TV "TV5".
The guests were welcomed by the deputy mayor of the municipality Tanya Goncheva, who told about the rich traditions of Velingrad in the field of culture. Mrs. Goncheva thanked for the cooperation for the Week of French Cinema to happen precisely in Velingrad. The gratitude was also to Anton Radoychev, who despite the hard times managed to maintain a good poster. Anton Radoychev also thanked the organizers in the face of the French Cultural Institute and the municipality on behalf of all moviegoers in Velingrad. According to him, the most important task of the Week is for new spectators to enter the salon. Visits of students, which will be financially supported by the municipality, will also help. Two of them will also have the chance to spend a weekend on the Golden Sands on a Hemus Air flight in May. The other sponsor of the event is Dilyana Design from Sofia.
Mr. Hubert le Forestier stressed that the main task of the Week of French Cinema is to show another point of view that is an alternative to American cinema. Now in Bulgaria 85% of the film market titles are American, only 3% are French. The share of Bulgarian cinema is 0.03%. The latest fact the French guest commented thus: "This is very unfortunate for the history of a country and for future generations. The French have always considered cinema to be the seventh art, it is an example of a given era and time, part of the history of a country".
That is why in France the state helps the film production: 11% of the price of each ticket goes directly to the production of French films, 2% of the sale of each cassette goes to the French national cinema center, 5.5% of the advertising revenue of television and from the subscription of cable operators are also returned to the production of films. Thus, the French state supports the creation of feature-length, documentary and educational films and videos. 147 films are made annually, of which about 30 go well, with the main problems being difficult distribution and marketing, where Americans are unrivalled.
In Bulgaria, it is difficult to attract viewers to watch a film other than American. The facts confirm this conclusion: in 2004. 286,000 viewers watched Troy, 82 thousand Harry Potter and only 24 thousand chose the French Fanfan Tulip. In France, 38% of the films shown in cinemas are French, 47% are American. To combat the expansion of American cinema, the European Union has developed the MEDIA program, which funds cinema owners and tenants who launch European cinema. One way for French cinema to enter Bulgaria is to come to cities like yours, because Sofia is Sofia, but 7 million Bulgarians live outside it, said Hubert le Forestier. The other way of propaganda of the French spirit and culture is channel "TV5", which is a media partner of the Week of French Cinema.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Forestier suggested to Deputy Mayor Tanya Goncheva that a meeting be held between the municipality of Velingrad and the Embassy of France.
The French guest is particularly impressed by Anton Radoychev's practice of organizing screenings for students with raffles and prizes. The French Cultural Institute can financially support such an initiative, provide films and negotiate joint initiatives with the municipality. Mrs. Goncheva accepted the invitation and guaranteed full cooperation from the municipality.
Elena Baeva