Old classics should be sold like new movies

Participants at Locarno's Heritage Monday panel argued that old classics can be approached in the same way as new films.

“I spoke with exhibitors in Paris, and they don't think of repertory films as different from modern films. They're combining both models into one, which is very interesting,” says the Academy. said KJ Relth-Miller of the museum.

Frédéric Mehr, director of the Swiss Film Archive, said there was a mix of “fresh” films and older titles. “This idea of ​​separating two people is helpful for communication, but we try to avoid it. Yesterday, I was watching, [Daniel Schmid’s 1974 film] “La Paloma” [at the festival] It felt modern and new. I don't want to make that distinction from a cultural standpoint,” he said.

Such an approach could also be beneficial in terms of raising audience awareness, argued Erin Farrell of Film Movement.

“Talking about 'traditional movies' in the same way as new releases tends to generate more interest.”

Moderated by Jay Weisberg, Artistic Director of Italy's Pordenone Silent Film Festival, this panel dedicated to the theatrical distribution, exhibition, and streaming of classic works will feature experts introducing them to new audiences and, in many cases, shared tips for reaching younger audiences.

“Let's call a cat a cat. 'Heritage film' is not a bad term.But creating marketing is so much fun [strategies]” said MK2's Elise Cochin, recalling her recent collaboration with artist Akiko Stellenberger on a restoration film of Claude Chabrol.

“She produced a series of terrible posters. Sometimes it's very important to approach these films as something new in order to draw in a wider audience.”

But while already acclaimed titles sell relatively easily, unknown works often remain unnoticed.

“People, at least Spanish viewers, are only interested in one or two big titles. For Chantal Akerman, it's 'Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles',” says Firmin's Jaume. Ripoll said.

“Stimulating our back catalog is an ongoing challenge. [Sergio Corbucci’s] “The Great Silence will always be a success, but not all of them are cult classics,” agrees Farrell, adding that while Rels Miller tends to be dominated by major titles, many He noted that it could serve as a “gateway to further exploration”.

However, the panelists argued that the coronavirus lockdown had helped increase viewer curiosity.

“There's a new generation coming into the film industry now. We're starting to see that basically it happens every five years. When you feel like you're showing 'The Conformist' again, you feel like you're stuck in a rut. “Every time I do that, I remind myself that there's always going to be people who are going to see it for the first time,” said Rels Miller, along with Rels' Ronald Chalmer. He also talked about the movie Camellia as follows: “Seven years ago, when we screened classics, the main audience was older people. Now, post-pandemic, it's the young people who are important.”

“Marketing is very important for classic movies,” he said, but traditional promotional strategies don't always work. Relsmiller praised radio interviews and podcast appearances over print media.

“I've appeared on the radio three times in the past two weeks to talk about the silent film program. After the screening, attendance doubled.”

Maile added: “We're looking at TikTok and we're also currently creating a podcast. We’re trying to create an audience made up of.”

Or maybe you're just looking for a unique experience.

“The idea of ​​an ‘event’ is still essential. Before [Locarno screening] In the lyrics of Claude Goretta's “If the Sun Never Comes Back,” I said, “There won't be that many people in the room.'' The movie theater was packed, and there were young people,'' Maile said.

But while, for example, dazzling an audience with an original print can be a “double-edged sword”, “if a print isn't up to the standard they expect, we won't hear about it”. ” says Relsmiller, establishing trust. It should be an absolute priority.

“When there's trust, the audience can collaborate with you and challenge you. They know you're going to take them somewhere interesting.”