Translated material
Return the bear!
The scandalous transfer of rolled “Paddington’s adventures” at the request of the Ministry of Culture (and then one more - back): what is behind them?
The Association of Cinemas owners and the Ministry of Culture exchanges formidable letters. The Association published an appeal in which it criticized the actions of the Ministry of Culture and personally Minister Vladimir Medinsky, carrying the premiere of foreign films for the sake of Russian cinema.
“Having transferred the deadlines to the prime minister of foreign films,” the authors of the letter report, “Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky harm the development of the Russian film industry.”
They recall previous cases of “direct intervention of the state executive body in the economic activity of cinemas: such decisions were made when the films such as“ Time of the First ”and“ Salyut-7 ”were made, as a result of which the release of one of the most successful paintings in 2017 was moved for six months. The same decision was made during the release of the film “And the Dawns here is quiet”, as a result of the release of the painting “Avengers: the Era of the Ultron” was shifted a week earlier, etc. ”
The letter refers to the dangers that the next administrative decision does not only cinemas, distributors, but also Russian viewers who are forced to change their plans for visiting the cinema. For the film “The Adventures of Paddington 2”, tickets for more than 750 thousand rubles were previously sold. The authors of the letter claim that
The Ministry of Culture turned the standard public service for the issuance of a rental certificate into a censorship tool.
In response to criticism of Medinsky by the cinemas, several producers, on the contrary, “ardently supported” the Ministry of Culture policy in an open letter to Dmitry Medvedev:
“The statements that we hear from commercial structures today - about“ gross interference in activity ” - mean only that these structures simply protect their interests, trying to cover themselves with the interests of the audience.” “Of course, it is more profitable for cinema networks to rent foreign cinema, because while it collects more money,” said one of the signatures Fedor Bondarchuk. - And the Ministry of Culture - protects the interests of the state. And this, in our opinion, is his direct duty. ”
The letter is the signatures of Fedor Bondarchuk, Peter Anurov, Dmitry Rudovsky, the head of the Russian office 20th Century Fox Vadim Smirnov and the chairman of the Public Council at the Ministry of Culture of Yuri Polyakov. (True, after the publication of the letter, Peter Anurov and Dmitry Rudovsky said that they did not sign letters).
Most of all the issues were called by Vadim Smirnov. How is it: a representative of the famous Western sales company 20th Century Fox-and advocates state regulation in the interests of Russian cinema?!
Everything was explained the next day, when the picture of the production of 20th Century Fox - “Running in the Labyrinth: a cure for death”, which should be transferred to February, returned to the initially declared date - January 25.
As a result, it turns out: only the British bear and his independent distributor were punished - the Volga company. For what?
Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky said that the sale of tickets for Paddington began before the picture received a rental certificate. And his deputy Sergei Obnritin directly accuses Volga of a yelling violation of legislation: “On January 10, the Volga company was informed about the start of the start of the picture from February 1, 2018,” the official said in a commentary.
But the other side has its own arguments, and the whole story already resembles a detective.
So, the rental certificate was registered by the Ministry of Culture on December 29 at number 121028917 (the screenshot of the EAIS website from the film page was stored). The date of the start of the rental of “Paddington” was also called on January 18 (the same screenshot). But soon the page was unavailable, and when it appeared, the dates of the launch of the rental was no longer there ...
The Association of Cinemas supports Volga. It believes that in his commentary Sergey Obnritin is sipping: “In a letter signed by him, in which“ Volga ”is“ informed ”, there is a number - 01/17/2018, which means that there can be no“ in advance ”.”
... "Paddington" - almost everywhere morning and daytime sessions. This is children's and family cinema. The films addressed to this audience (“Three heroes ...”, “Ferdinand”), which are spinning from the winter holidays, have already developed their potential. Children now in the cinema have nothing to show.
There is another important argument that the Ministry of Culture likes to hide behind. In words, officials “protect” our cinema from Hollywood with their actions. But Paddington is the joint production of France and the UK. And on the other hand, formally “Our Cinema” and one of the rental champions-“The Last hero”-was produced by Disney in Russia and the Yellow, Black and White film studio ... something is lame logic!
Do producers and distributors understand the danger of such a directive intervention? Most of course understand. Dissatisfaction with isolated cases still manages to stop, but the more Russian cinema will be in the box office, the more “directives” will be. General opinion: the system of issuing a rental certificate (painful, humiliating, opaque!) Needs urgent changes.
Representatives of cinemas said “new” that they consider such attitude of the state to private cinemas cynical and disrespectful. In their opinion, the fees from Russian blockbusters, which the Ministry of Culture is so proud of, the merit of not the ministry and not the zeal of officials, but talented directors, producers and cinemas showing.
Cinemas join the All -Russian campaign organized after the premiere of the premiere of the film "Adventures of Paddington 2". As part of this flash mob, and spectators can take a photo against the background of stands and posters of the film “Adventures of Paddington-2” and upload a photo on social networks with a hashtag
Dmitry Medvedev instructed to figure out a complaint of the association of cinema owners.
PS
The start of the Paddington 2 Adventures was postponed to January 20 following a meeting in the Ministry of Culture.