On the eve of the opening of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, its director, Thierry Frémaux, reacted cautiously to the recent announcement by the American president. Donald Trump regarding the potential imposition of a 100% tariff on films produced outside the United States. Questioned by journalists on Monday, Frémaux said it was difficult to take a position without knowing more about the exact terms of such a measure.
"It's quite difficult to answer this question, which is based on the announcement by the American president, who we've been used to for three months saying something and then contradicting himself, etc. So I don't know what to say," Frémaux said, highlighting the instability of the Trump administration's positions since the start of his second term.
The announcement of this tariff has caused concern throughout the global film industry, including among Hollywood studio executives. They are questioning the feasibility and economic consequences of such a measure, even though no specific framework has been provided. Trump sees this initiative as an attempt to counter what he considers unfair competition fueled by government aid and tax incentives for filmmakers from foreign governments.
Frémaux acknowledged that the issue of the American industry's potential disadvantage in the face of other countries' incentive policies could merit discussion. "The idea that American cinema is penalized by foreign countries, I think that's a subject that deserves discussion," he said, without commenting on the legitimacy or effectiveness of a tariff to address it.
The Cannes Film Festival will open on Tuesday evening with Leave One Day, a comedy directed by French filmmaker Amélie Bonnin. This will be the first time in the festival's history that an opening film has been directed by a debut filmmaker, a choice hailed by Frémaux as a strong gesture in favor of emerging filmmakers. In this context, trade tensions between Washington and the global film industry could cast a shadow over the festivities, as the seventh art attempts to recover from the effects of the pandemic and geopolitical instability.
