What changes do you foresee in the industry?
Alexander Rodnyansky: First of all, the rapid growth of new technologies. Coronavirus has accelerated the development of online cinema streaming platforms. They successfully pulled to his audience, chaining her to the monitors. On small screens left and a genres: drama, romance, spy pictures, historical becomes like the book novels series. From movie theaters will leave the genres to watch on the big screen is optional. There will be entertainment movie, it plays at home: do not compare with IMAX that literally immerses you in the strange worlds. The cinema halls will remain films, the cast of “universes” of Marvel, middle earth, Harry Potter his sorcerers, James bond, “Star wars”.
But in cinemas now twist auteur cinema…
Alexander Rodnyansky: I Think cinemas will remain two forms of display. About the first I said, huge halls, where, as in theaters, months will go blockbusters of type “Avatar”. Such cinemas in the country will have a few dozen, and the ticket will be expensive. The second form of clubs that will gather people who share interest in a serious movie and want then to stay for a Cup of coffee, to talk, to discuss. For this movie there is a vast audience, already now there is a tendency to return to the screens classics: go the premiere of the restored paintings of Fellini, Visconti, Kubrick… This will answer the queries of the audience to watch a movie in company, where people share a common emotion.
Pandemic – the hour streaming. He will become chief?
Alexander Rodnyansky: it is good because It provides access to thousands of titles of all times and genres. Online movie theaters are multiplying quickly and will share in their area. For example, the platform MUBI auteur cinema has every reason to become the delivery channel of the Arthouse. And the more focused will be the platform, the wider the audience it will attract. As it happened with the most successful TV channels of pure music channel MTV has turned into a lifestyle brand generation.
In the film business going “star wars” and arise a new Empire. What they make their main wager?
Alexander Rodnyansky Channels that have no original content, not stand in competition. Today Netflix is investing huge money into production. He previously used the products of big studios, and now they have created their own streaming platform. Disney, for example, bought animation Studio Pixar, Marvel, Lucas, the company that produced “Star wars”. Warner Brothers launches HBO Max platform with content created by HBO and its companies. It’s all Netflix had lost and he had to create something of their own.
But there is the feeling of the conveyor remakes: all without end repeatareeda, as in “Groundhog day”.
Alexander Rodnyansky Therefore, it aggravated the struggle for content: the more unusual, the more popular. Today’s most successful showrunners, producers, authors of the famous series David Benioff, Daniel Weiss, Ryan Murphy, Peter Morgan – on contract from Netflix. Amazon bought for $ 200 million the right to transfer in serial format everything connected with the “Lord of the rings”. The pandemic crisis has only fueled the pace of development of streaming platforms: they saw new opportunities for themselves and try to hold them, when the crisis ends.
What are the prospects of film festivals? Now felt a panic: all chain links of a cinema collapsed.
Alexander Rodnyansky There are festivals, the key for industry: Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Toronto is a kind of navigation in the actual movie. The participants of the Cannes competitions immediately attracted the attention of cinephiles around the world. Such “places of power” will not go away: expertise is always needed, and the online platform it can not provide. Of course, the festivals will have to adapt to the new reality and win the one who will understand it earlier than others. For example, it is clear that it is impossible to ignore the series – there’s a lot of talent. Gangnam is impeding conflict with Netflix: they missed the films the level of Roma Cuaron. Overall, the number of festivals could be expected to be less, will survive major brands. Where, too, everything will depend on the flexibility of the manual.
What’s waiting for “a Kinotavr”?
Alexander Rodnyansky It depends on what will happen to our movie: in Russia, unfortunately, there is no strategy for the development of cinema as, say, South Korea. It is clear that “a Kinotavr” our cinema needs – as an aid in the promotion. And if we can adapt to the changes that the festival will live on. And while waiting for the development of the situation, moved the festival to the autumn, but the precise date is not yet possible.
What are your projects stuck in production?
Alexander Rodnyansky: strong Complete picture of student Sokurov, Kira Kovalenko, and we were hoping for her big premiere at the festival, but will now have to wait a year. In the middle of filming a stuck film bicakova, won the prize for debut of “Deep river” at “Kinotavr”. One of the festivals now pending anticipated premiere of “fisherman’s Daughters” of Safarali Ismail. Stopped work on “Hostage” Paul Chukhrai. Was the installation designed for the wide release of the film “Chernobyl” Danila Kozlovsky – premiere was planned for October, and now its prospects are unclear.
Stopped English pattern. There is an interesting scenario in the book, the former CIA officer who led the interrogation of Saddam Hussein, is a psychological drama that puts the Oscar nominee Ziad Duari. But rushlo is a sea of troubles, and movies around the world pending. We must act, knowing that the world really will never be the same.
don’t You think that due to the massive depression that will accompany humanity for more then a year, and changing social demand for cinema?
Alexander Rodnyansky I’m sure. This request, sorry, “the dream factory”. Times are tough for dramas, for movies about the complexities of life. You will be prompted to the police, to the departure from the depressing reality, we are looking at, Comedy, to history, to strengthen the will to live and faith in a better outcome. Maybe it’s not as primitive as I set out, but the vector is obvious.
