Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Aleksandr Tishchenko
Hollywood films "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" do not meet the objectives and goals of preserving and strengthening traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. This statement, which was made on August 31 by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Russia Andrey Malyshev , was made in response to the appeal of the Vice-Speaker of the State Duma Vladislav Davankov ("New People").
A month ago, the legislator sent a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, in which he proposed: as an experiment, to conduct compulsory licensing of films from unfriendly countries, including so that Russian viewers could legally and in good quality see world hits in cinemas.
First of all, with the same biographical drama by Christopher Nolan "Oppenheimer" and with the fantasy comedy "Barbie" directed by Greta Gerwig .
The correspondence dispute between the deputy head of the Ministry of Culture and the deputy chairman of the State Duma became another episode in the discussion that flared up between legislators and film functionaries.
At first glance, the argument looks like this. On the one hand, some deputies and senators propose to bring the practice of "gray" film screenings into a legal field. On the other hand, the Ministry of Culture and the Cinema Fund strongly oppose screen “sanctions”, explaining this by the fact that the Western film product, in principle, has a bad effect on the moral state of society. However, the plot is somewhat more complicated.
But first, it is necessary to clarify what, in fact, the subject of the dispute.
Gray screens
As you know, with the beginning of the NWO, the Hollywood film industry lowered the iron curtain. Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and other major studios left the Russian market. At the same time, the streaming service of Netflix (one of the leading producers of series) suspended its work.
But at the same time, the opportunity to watch certain new items in Russia remained - and not only on pirate sites, but also on large screens.
In the winter of this year, “gray film screenings” entered the practice.
More precisely, formally it is considered the so-called "pre-session service". The cinema announces short films or cartoons in the program, but specifies that a “pre-screening” will take place before this screening. Western movies were included in it, for example, Avatar 2.
Telegram channels report that according to this scheme, the Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Fate tape began to be shown this week (before which a certain short film was shown). There was also information that from September in the "pre-session service" they will show "Barbie", but not "Oppenheimer".
The audience willingly went to such "pre-screenings", although in order to buy tickets, they had to search for the necessary information about the sessions on the Internet, and then get to the specified cinemas, since not all major Russian cinema networks began to be included in such a scheme.
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In the second half of August, Alexei Sinitsyn, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, proposed to whitewash this semi-legal practice.
It's about compulsory licensing.
As Izvestia explained, the senator proposed creating a temporary mechanism for the official import and distribution of Western films with the issuance of distribution certificates to them (ignoring the fact that, from the point of view of the same Warner or Disney, films are prohibited for distribution). And the proceeds from the rental should be sent to the copyright holders in the usual way, to a special account, "to exclude civil lawsuits from Western film companies and the Ministry of Culture."
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The second option proposed by the senator is to import Western films that are being screened by our partners in the Union State, in Belarus.
The chief of Senator Sinitsyn, the head of the relevant committee, Andrey Kutepov , previously noted that the Western film business, by prohibiting the distribution of films in Russia alone (despite the fact that these films are shown all over the world), is abusing its rights. And from this, let's add, our film distributors suffer obvious losses, considering what kind of box office the same "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" do.
The executive director of the Cinema Fund, Fyodor Sosnov , in his response to the senators, as well as the deputy minister of culture Malyshev in his response to the deputy speaker of the Duma Davankov, stressed the threat to traditional spiritual and moral values that could be posed by the import of Western film products.
It's not just about morality
At first glance, this is a dispute between supporters of pure profit (primarily for domestic film distributors) and guardians of morality and traditional values.
The latter, however, are already being criticized. The Ministry of Culture is reminded of the financing of controversial films, for example, the film "Hack Bloggers" by Timur Bekmambetov's experimental studio . In 2017, the then Executive Director of the Cinema Fund Anton Malyshev (by the way, the brother of the current Deputy Head of the Ministry of Culture Andrei Malyshev) recognized the state-supported Bloggers as an “unsuccessful experiment”, and Vladimir Medinsky (the current presidential aide at that time headed the Ministry of Culture) called for a more stringent selection paintings for which public money is spent.
But, let's note, in the current arguments of the Ministry of Culture and the Cinema Fund, we are talking not so much about moral issues, but about quite practical matters.
If we legalize "gray" (in fact, pirated) rental schemes bypassing the bans, then our distributors will incur reputational risks. Forced rental is against our copyright laws.
Officials made such arguments back in the spring, when there were proposals to import Western film products from Belarus.
Then the Ministry of Culture also opposed such a scheme, mentioning the violation of the exclusive right, although experts admitted that the income of cinema networks could cover possible financial risks.
It is possible that the Fund and the ministry have in mind the possibility of receiving large fines from film rights holders in the future. Whether this future will come and under what conditions is a separate question.
There is a reason in the position of the Ministry of Culture: from a legal point of view, “gray” schemes are not good in themselves, and the idea that fines and sanctions will be imposed is reasonable,” film critic Alexei, lecturer at the St. Petersburg State Institute of Film and Television, told IA Regnum Gusev. At the same time, he believes that if in the arguments of officials the emphasis is on the dangers of "Western values", then this "causes mistrust."
But these arguments should not be completely discounted.
It's not just about the impact on modern Hollywood of the current "newsletter" (anti-Russian or really running counter to our moral norms) - it's also about historical experience, experts say.
During the Cold War, in popular culture, the “Reds” were often represented as “black power,” film critic Alexander Shpagin reminded IA Regnum , citing “Rambo III” as an example (by the way, a film that was released already during the years of our perestroika, in 1988). Another thing is that in the last thirty years there has been no talk of any wave of "anti-Russian cinema" in the West, the expert added.
But in the current situation, it no longer makes sense to look back at the opinion of the West, the interlocutor believes. “There was a lot of talk about the need to ban the showing of these stolen films, and everyone started to fuss. But if we have taken the position that we are sending everyone, then let's send further, ” said Shpagin.
Pirates of the Rolling Sea
Most likely, against the backdrop of disputes about whether or not to legalize "gray schemes", the already traditional film piracy will grow and strengthen, experts say.
“Sanctions are sanctions, and movies are another element in a long list. Or you will have to limit yourself to home viewing. The traditions of all kinds of piracy in our country are stronger and more inventive than anywhere else, and since the 90s, Gusev noted. —
Let me remind you that in the late 90s - early 2000s, there were legendary situations that we were almost proud of - films appeared on video cassettes on Russian shelves before they were released in the American box office .
Then films were stolen right at the studio screenings. But this is a grassroots initiative, and this is how both consumers and suppliers organize themselves.”
It is better for the state not to interfere in the process, since it can really become an accomplice in these schemes in the eyes of Western copyright holders, Gusev emphasizes.
“That is, piracy will begin to flourish, although I am not a big fan of it. And all the state needs to do is not interfere: neither say “God, how terrible and bad it is!”, nor say “let us help you!” the expert noted .
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The film market is like water: all the same, everything that is needed will leak out, Shpagin agrees.
On the one hand, in 2022, during the time of Western film sanctions - coincidentally or not - "a real and cool domestic film product went," the critic notes. “In general, I have a feeling that last year in Russian cinema was much stronger than in American cinema,” the expert points out.
On the other hand, the American product will still prevail in the domestic market - the demand for it does not go away, Shpagin noted. Even in the new conditions, it will not be easy for people to give up their favorite goods that have fallen under sanctions - and films are no exception, Gusev agrees.
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