If the National Rally wins the Elysée in the upcoming election, they might fulfill their proposal or reallocate funding to other priorities.
“People from the cinema world live in another reality, not understanding the financial struggles of the French,” stated Philippe Ballard, a National Rally lawmaker advocating for reduced state cinema funding.
Ballard noted that his constituents are frustrated by the idea of state-supported cinema while they have to choose between fuel or food.
Filmmakers argue that cutting funding would harm an industry that generated €12.6 billion in 2022 and employs over 260,000 people, citing its role in attracting foreign investment and promoting French culture globally, countering American influence as per Charles de Gaulle’s political tradition.
Director Olivier Assayas criticized the attacks on film funding as “stupid, lame, and perfectly counterproductive,” saying it undermines French cinema’s global influence.
“French cinema is vital globally. Abandoning it would be an absurdity,” Assayas, who directed films with stars like Jude Law and Kristen Stewart, told POLITICO.
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