The successive stages of deconfinement were detailed, sector by sector, Tuesday, May 11, by Prime Minister Jean Castex, in an interview with Parisian. Gauges limited to 35% of the capacity from Wednesday May 19, then to 65% from Wednesday June 9 for theaters, shift of the curfew to 9 p.m. from May 19, then to 11 pm from June 9, public limited to 1000 people seated in the open air and equipped with a sanitary pass for festivals… These measures were, for the most part, already known to the various cultural players.
No surprises for cinemas
The dark rooms were already preparing for a gradual reopening since the announcements of Emmanuel Macron, on April 29, laying down the conditions for deconfinement. “The Prime Minister’s details are very clear and satisfactory. They come to confirm what we have been working on with the Ministry of Culture for two weeks “, reacts Marc-Olivier Sebbag, General Delegate of the National Federation of French Cinemas. If he judges “Demanding and obviously not very profitable” the spectator level limited to 35% between May 19 and June 9, the union representative admits this constraint, “Compulsory passage to find, in the long term, a habitual attendance”.
The offer “Dense and diverse”, which mixes multiple new releases and a few films already scheduled before closing, such as Goodbye idiots by Albert Dupontel, Drunk, by Thomas Vinterberg, or DNA, directed by Maïwenn, should be enriched with American blockbusters this summer, the reception restrictions being abandoned as of June 30, offering better ticketing prospects. Marc-Olivier Sebbag is also counting on the releases of films presented at the Cannes Film Festival, which takes place from July 6 to 17, to stimulate the attendance of the public. “The desire of spectators to return to the cinema seems very strong anyway, he wants to believe. It is time for them to resume their cinematic life. “
A false start for theaters
Private rooms seem, for the most part, to prefer a reopening on June 9 to May 19, if not at the beginning of the next school year, in September. The short delay between the announcement of the stages of deconfinement and the effective reopening of the theaters has thrown the sector off guard. “The theater cannot be compared to the cinema, explains Sébastien Azzopardi, co-director of the Théâtre du Palais-Royal and the Théâtre Michel, in Paris. You have to set up sets, bring together a team of technicians and actors, sometimes solicit headliners from elsewhere. Everyone should be able to be ready. “
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