The circulatin and receptin f freign-language Eurpean films in the UK A paper presented at the TFTV Departmental Research Seminar University f Yrk Nvember 12, 2014 Huw D Jnes Mediating Cultural Encunters thrugh Eurpean Screens (MeCETES) prject University f Yrk huw.jnes@yrk.ac.uk www.mecetes.c.uk Suggested citatin: Jnes, H. D. The circulatin and receptin f freign-language Eurpean films in the UK. Paper presented at the TFTV Departmental Research Seminar, University f Yrk. Nvember 12, 2014.
Intrductin In this paper I m ging t explre the circulatin and receptin f freign-language Eurpean films in the UK. I will be drawing n research cnducted fr the HERA-funded Mediating Cultural Encunters thrugh Eurpean Screens (MeCETES) prject. As many f yu knw, this is a threeyear prject led by Prf Andrew Higsn in cllabratin with Prf Ib Bndebjerg at the University f Cpenhagen and Prf Carline Pauwels at the Vrjie Universitait Brussel. The prject as a whle examines which Eurpean film and televisin drama actually travel well within Eurpe; hw these represent ther Eurpean natins, cultures and identities; and hw audiences engage with such screen fictins. Our apprach cmbines a Eurpean-wide verview f the prductin, distributin and receptin f Eurpean film and televisin drama with detailed natinal case-studies fr the perid 2005 t 2015. Tday s presentatin therefre tackles ne aspect f a much brader prject abut Eurpean screen drama. In the first part f the presentatin, I am ging t give a brad utline f the market fr freignlanguage Eurpean films in the UK and hw this cmpares t the rest f Eurpe. The secnd part f the presentatin will examine sme f the factrs which affect the cnsumptin f Eurpean films in the UK. I particularly want t cnsider why nly a minrity f British peple engage with Eurpean films and t what extent this is due t cultural barriers r the limited availability f such material. The third part f the presentatin will examine sme f the Eurpean films which have actually perfrmed well within the UK and hw these represent ther Eurpeans. Finally, I m ging t talk abut the next phase f my research, which will invlve surveying audiences abut their attitudes twards Eurpean films. Thrughut the presentatin I will be drawing primarily n statistical data frm a range f surces, including the BFI, the Eurpean Audivisual Observatry, and the Eurpean Cmmissin. I aplgise if this apprach seems a bit heavy n facts and figures, but in rder t understand trends in the UK market fr Eurpean film it is necessary t rely n such quantitative data. Hwever, I can assure yu that clse qualitative readings f film texts are als part f the wrk which we plan t d fr the MeCETES prject. Befre I g any further, I want t clarify what I mean by freign-language Eurpean films. By Eurpean I mean films prduced utside the UK within any f the 36 territries mnitred by the Eurpean Audivisual Observatry (figure 1). This includes nn-eu states such as Nrway and Switzerland, as well as transcntinental cuntries, such as Turkey and Russia. Of curse, Britain is als a Eurpean cuntry, but I want t reserve the term Eurpean fr films prduced utside the UK t avid using the clunky phase nn-dmestic Eurpean films.
Figure 1. Territries mnitred by the Eurpean Audivisual Observatry I am als aware that Britain c-prduces abut 30 films each year with Eurpean partners. Where Britain is legally recgnised as the lead r majrity prducing cuntry, these will be treated as British films, whereas if it is the minrity partner, they will be treated as Eurpean. I als want t exclude Eurpean films prduced in the English language r which have been dubbed int English fr UK audiences, such as children s animatins. These films perate in a different market t freign-language Eurpean films and wuld give us a rather skewed picture if they were included in the analysis. Hwever, it is imprtant t pint ut that when drawing n data frm different surces it is ften difficult t apply these terms cnsistently. Sme f the data I use refers t freign-language films in general including, fr example, Chinese films r Hindi-language Bllywd films. Other statistics refer t bth English and nn-english language Eurpean films. Where apprpriate I will clarify terminlgy, but in general I will be using the term Eurpean film t refer t nn-dmestic freignlanguage Eurpean films. 1. The market fr freign-language Eurpean films in the UK I want t start by nting that Eurpean films have been enjying increased attentin in the UK lately. In recent years, titles such as Vlver (2006), The Lives f Others (2007), Cc Befre Chanel (2009), Pan s Labyrinth (2006), The Girl with the Dragn Tatt (2010), and Untuchable (2012) have perfrmed remarkably well in the UK bx ffice, generating ver 2 millin ticket sales a piece. 1 Many cmmentatrs traced this back t the pineering success f Jean-Pierre Jeunet s Amelie in 2001 ne f the first freign-language films t crssver frm the art huse t the mainstream. While nt the fcus f my presentatin tday, it is als imprtant t nte the grwing ppularity the Eurpean televisin drama in the UK. Scandinavian crime series such as The Killing and The Bridge and the plitical thriller Brgen have becme regular fixtures f BBC Fur s Saturday night schedule, 1 BFI, Statistical Yearbks 2002 2014. http://www.bfi.rg.uk/educatin-research/film-industry-statisticsresearch/statistical-yearbk
frequently pulling in ver 1 millin viewers, as well as generating huge discussin in the press and n scial media. 2 Last year, Channel 4 bradcast its first freign-language drama series in ver 20 years when it premiered the French supernatural thriller The Returned t an audience f 1.9 millin. Even Sky is getting in n the actin this autumn it airs The Legacy, a ten-part Danish drama series. 3 Hwever, when we situate these achievements within the UK s brader media landscape, Eurpean films still ccupy a small and fairly niche market. Accrding t the BFI Statistical Yearbk, American films accunted fr 71% f UK bx ffice between 2001 and 2013. 4 British films tk a quarter f the bx ffice three-quarters f which were fr British films backed by US studis, e.g. Harry Ptter and the James Bnd franchises. Meanwhile, Eurpean films averaged nly 1.8% f the UK bx ffice. If we exclude English-language Eurpean films, such as French-made Taken and Transprter series, as well as animatins, which are usually dubbed int English, then the number falls t just 1.1%. While freign-language Eurpean films accunted fr 16% f UK cinema releases in 2013, they nly tk 0.6% f the bx ffice. That is less than 1 millin admissins (993,000) r abut just under 10,000 tickets per film (9,194). Despicable Me 2, the UK s best-selling film f 2013, sld ver twice as many cinema tickets in its pening weekend than all the year s freign-language Eurpean films put tgether. The pattern is much the same n televisin. Each year abut 61 freign-language films (including nn-eurpean films) are shwn n terrestrial televisin representing abut 3% f the films screened acrss the five main channels. The average TV audience fr a freign-language film is abut 150,000 viewers 15 times the average cinema audience, but still relatively lw in cmparisn t mst films shwn n TV, where average audience fr a peak time film is abut 1.8 millin viewers. In the last decade nly three Eurpean films Dwnfall in 2006, The Pan s Labyrinth in 2008 and Girl With the Dragn Tatt in 2012 have scred an audience f ver 1 millin. Hw des the UK market fr freign-language Eurpean films cmpare t the rest f Eurpe? Almst 1 billin cinema tickets are sld in the EU each year. Acrss the EU market as a whle, American films accunt fr just under tw-thirds (64%) f cinema admissins, and abut a quarter (24%) are fr dmestic prductins. 5 Only 10% f admissins are fr Eurpean films frm ther Eurpean cuntries, while films frm the rest f the wrld make up the remaining 2% f admissins. Luxemburg has the highest level f admissins fr Eurpean films (25.3%), while amngst the cuntries which generally subtitle rather than dub freign-language films, Pland is tp (figure 2). Yet f all the Eurpean cuntries, Britain has the lwest admissins fr Eurpean films. 2 BARB audience ratings are recrded n Wikipedia entries fr The Killing, The Bridge and Brgen. See als Jhn Plunkett. The Killing is back with a bang. The Guardian, Nvember 19, 2012. http://www.theguardian.cm/media/2012/nv/19/the-killing-bbc4-tv-ratings 3 Sky Arts. The Legacy: The Next Big Scandi Drama. http://www.sky.cm/tv/shw/the-legacy/article/abut 4 BFI, Statistical Yearbks 2002 2014. http://www.bfi.rg.uk/educatin-research/film-industry-statisticsresearch/statistical-yearbk 5 Eurpean Audivisual Observatry, Statistical Yearbks 2005-2013. See als Huw Jnes. The circulatin f Eurpean films. MeCETES, April 11, 2014. http://mecetes.c.uk/circulatin-eurpean-films/
% LI CH LU AT BE SK PL LV LT FI NO ES IT DK SE EE NL SI RU IS MT CZ FR BG HU DE PT RO CY TR GB 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Nn-dmestic Eurpean Dmestic US Other Figure 2. Cinema admissins in Eurpe. Surce: MEDIA Salles 2012. And it s nt just in the cinema. A recent EU survey, asked audiences in 10 EU cuntries whether they had watched a film frm anther Eurpean cuntry in the last few mnths n any platfrm TV, DVD, VOD r in the cinemas (figure 3. 6 In Pland, 31% said they had watched many films frm ther Eurpean cuntries. In Lithuania it was 25%, while in Rmania it was 22%. The EU average was 14%. In Britain, hwever, nly 5% said they had watched many Eurpean films in the last few mnths, the lwest number in the EU with the sle exceptin f Cratia, with 3%. 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Figure 3. Film cnsumers wh say they watch many Eurpean films. Surce: Eurpean Cmmissin 2014. 6 Eurpean Cmmissin. 2014. A Prfile f Current and Future Audivisual Audience. http://bkshp.eurpa.eu/is- bin/intershop.enfinity/wfs/eu-bkshp-site/en_gb/-/eur/viewpublicatin- Start?PublicatinKey=NC0114077
2. Factrs which affect the cnsumptin f Eurpean films in the UK Why d the British watch fewer freign-language Eurpean films than ther Eurpeans? It s quite difficult t answer this questin, because there is s little research n British attitudes twards Eurpean films r freign-language media cntent in general. 7 We d knw that freign-language Eurpean films tend t appeal t a particular audience. A recent BFI survey fund that, althugh almst half f British peple have seen at least ne freign-language film in the last 12 mnths, nly 14% said they liked freign-language films, while just 2% said they watched this genre mre than any ther. 8 While we need t be careful abut equating freign-language films with Eurpean freign-language films, the survey ffers sme useful insights nnetheless. Of the 2% f survey respndents wh said they watched freign-language films mst-ften acrss all platfrms, a higher prprtin than average were aged 25 t 44. 9 Full-time students, peple with an incme belw 30,000 and thse wh lived in urban areas were als ver-represented, as were peple with a university degree r abve. Lndn had the highest prprtin f freign-language film fans; Nrthern Ireland had the lwest. The prprtin f men and wmen were bradly similar. Hwever, peple frm minrity ethnic grups were twice as likely t prefer nn-english language films as white peple, which can perhaps be explained by the ppularity f Bllywd films amngst Britain s Suth Asian cmmunity. Mrever, white peple f ther white backgrunds are als tw-times mre likely t prefer freign-language films than white British and Irish peple. This may be because sme f the audience fr nn-english language films are Eurpean migrants frm, say, France r Spain, wh are watching films in their wn language. The survey fund that freign-language film fans are generally mre interested in film than mst fr instance, they were mre likely than mst t visit the cinema at least nce a mnth. They als have a greater knwledge f film 51% had seen 10 r mre films in the last 12 mnths (cmpared with 36% n average). In terms f lifestyle, freign-language film fans were mst likely t regularly visit museums, art galleries r live music cncerts, r t read pages nn-fictin bks. They were als mre likely t be interested in glbal affairs, wrld histry, the arts and the cuntryside. Tellingly, they were mst likely t describe film as rewarding and least likely t call it entertaining. Thus a picture begins t emerge f the typical freign-language film fan as smene wh is yung-tmiddle-aged, well-educated but nt necessarily well-ff, highly knwledgeable abut film, as well as ther cultural activities, and usually living in an urban envirnment. Put simply, freign-language films appeal mst t thse with a high degree f cultural capital. 7 Althugh see Melanie Selfe. 2010. Incredibly French?: Natin as an Interpretative Cntext fr Extreme Cinema and Ingrid Stigsdtter. 2010. British Audiences and 1990s French New Realism: La Vie Revee des Anges as Cinematic Slum Turism. In Je T Aime Mi Nn Plus: Franc-British Cinematic Relatins, edited by Lucy Mazdn and Catherine Wheatley. New Yrk/Oxfrd: Berghahn Bks. 8 BFI. 2011. Opening Our Eyes: Hw Film Cntributes t the Culture f the UK. Lndn: BFI. 9 BFI. 2011. Opening Our Eyes: Hw Film Cntributes t the Culture f the UK.. Calculatins made using the SPSS data available at: http://www.bfi.rg.uk/abut-bfi/plicy-strategy/pening-ur-eyes-hw-film-cntributesculture-uk
Hwever, while we have a fairly gd idea f wh watches Eurpean films, we dn t really knw why the majrity f British peple rarely r never engage with this genre. The MeCETES prject aims address this gap thrugh interviewing film and televisin audiences in the UK, Denmark and Belgium, but it is t early t ffer any results. In the meantime, I wuld like t suggest several likely factrs which affect the cnsumptin f freign-language Eurpean films in the UK. Firstly, many viewers are put ff by subtitles, which can be difficult t fllw, d nt always cnvey the full-meaning f the stry, and require cnsiderable cncentratin. 10 Children and pensiners r thse with pr sight r literacy find it especially hard t watch subtitled films. Genres like actin-adventure which cmbine a lt f n-screen actin and dialgue present particular difficulties. This is perhaps less f an issue n the Cntinent. In cuntries which frm part f a large language cmmunity e.g. France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and the French-speaking part f Belgium freign-language films are nrmally dubbed int the lcal language (figure 4). Eurpean imprts are therefre dmesticated. It is nly in cuntries with a small language cmmunity where dubbing is nt cst effective that freign-language films are cnsumed in their riginal versin with the aid f subtitles. At the same time, audiences in these territries are in a sense mre accustmed t subtitles because f the vast amunt f American films they cnsume in this frmat. Figure 4. Language-transfer practices in Eurpe. Surce: Media Cnsulting Grup 2011. 10 Miguel Mera 1999. Read My Lips: Re-evaluating Subtitling and Dubbing in Eurpe. Links & Letters 6: 73-85; Mireille Pelletier 2012. Subtitling and Dubbing: An Overview f a Few EU Cuntries. The Annual f Language & Plitics, Vl. VI; Kilbrn 1993. Speak My Language: Current Attitudes t Televisin Subtitling and Dubbing. Media, Culture and Sciety 15: 641-660.
Secndly, Eurpean films suffer frm a perceptin prblem. In the afrementined EU survey, audiences were asked what they liked abut Eurpean films. A higher prprtin (13%) than the EU average (9%) said they liked nthing abut these films. Thugh sme praised Eurpean films fr their riginality, their interesting subject matter and their ability t shw ther cuntries and cultures, thers described them slw, bring and pr quality. The BFI survey ffers similar findings. 11 95% described British films as gd in terms f their prductin qualities, while 93% said the same f Hllywd films. Yet nly 58% rated the prductin qualities f nn-english language films as gd. When asked abut the quality f the acting, 94% said it was gd in British films, 87% said it was gd in Hllywd films, while nly 61% said it was gd in nn-english language films. Mst surveyed said they preferred films with big budget special effects and a star cast qualities less likely t be fund in lw-budget Eurpean films. A third factr which may affect the cnsumptin f Eurpean films in the UK is ur general attitude twards ther languages, cultures and natinalities. Sme cmmentatrs believe the lw level f British interest in freign-language films stems frm deeper cultural prejudices. Kilbrn, fr example, claims the British suffer frm a smewhat arrgant assumptin that the majrity f life s activities can be cnducted in English. 12 He ges n: This characteristically insular mindset has nt nly affected ur readiness t learn freign-languages, but als has an impact n audiences respnse t freign-language material. There is sme evidence t suggest the British are mre insular-lking. Accrding t Eurbarmeter, the EU s public pinin survey, nly a third f Britns feel Eurpean in sme way, the lwest prprtin f all EU member states. 13 It is als true that the British are wrse at learning ther languages. A recent survey by the British Cuncil fund that tw-thirds cannt speak a freign language. 14 Hwever, the relatinship between language ability and Eurpean film cnsumptin is nt s clearcut. Accrding t the last census, ver half a millin peple speak Plish in England and Wales. 15 Yet Plish-language films 11 f which have been released in the UK since 2005 average nly 13,000 admissins. Meanwhile, Swedish-language films 10 f which have been released in the UK since 2005 are amngst the mst ppular Eurpean films in the UK bx ffice, averaging 170,000 admissins, even thugh very few peple in Britain can speak that language. Furthermre, pr language skills and a weak sense f Eurpean identity d nt necessarily make the Brits any less interested Eurpean films than ther natinalities. In the afrementined EU survey, fr example, a quarter f Britns said there were nt enugh subtitled freign-language films in the UK. Thugh belw the Eurpean average (34%), this is n a par with Denmark (25%) and Germany (27%), cuntries where freign language skills and Eurpean identity are bth strng. 11 BFI. 2011. Opening Our Eyes: Hw Film Cntributes t the Culture f the UK. Lndn: BFI, p.42. 12 Kilbrn, p.649. 13 Eurpean Cmmissin. 2014. Standard Eurbarmeter 81: Spring 2014 Eurpean Citizenship, p. 14. http://ec.eurpa.eu/public_pinin/archives/eb/eb81/eb81_citizen_en.pdf 14 British Cuncil. 2013. Languages fr the Future: Which Languages the UK Needs Mst and Why. http://www.britishcuncil.rg/sites/britishcuncil.uk2/files/languages-fr-the-future-reprt.pdf 15 Office fr Natinal Statistics. Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: Quick Statistics fr England and Wales, March 2011, p.9. http://www.ns.gv.uk/ns/dcp171778_297002.pdf
This pints t a furth factr which affects the cnsumptin f Eurpean films in the UK their limited availability. At their widest pint f release, Eurpean films are shwn in just 14 theatres acrss the cuntry. 16 Cmpare that with 168 theatres fr mst English language releases. Even a critically acclaimed drama like Amur, which had picked up the prestigius Palme d Or award at Cannes prir t its UK release, was nly shwn in 49 theatres at its peaks. 17 At the same time, few cinemas in Britain the majrity f which are Hllywd-rientated multiplexes shw freign-language Eurpean films. Outside Lndn nly 7% f UK screens (mstly small independent cinemas) are dedicated t specialised prgramming, and mst f these (84.3%) are lcated in majr twns and cities. 18 In Wales, there are nly seven specialised screens (2.6% f ttal); in Nrthern Ireland, there are just tw (0.7% f ttal). Eurpean films are increasingly being squeezed ut f specialist venue as cinema managers prgramme mre mainstream features and ther specialist screenings. The market fr event cinema, fr example, has grssed 23m this year alne ver the twice the average bx ffice fr freignlanguage Eurpean film. 19 On average live theatre events are shwn in 111 cinemas acrss f the cuntry a wider average release pint than mst Hllywd films. But as mre specialist screens are devted t Natinal Theatre prductins r perfrmances frm the Ryal Opera Huse, s there is less space fr Eurpean film. Of curse, cinemas are nt the nly utlet fr Eurpean cntent. Audiences can watch such films n TV, DVD r VOD. But even n these ther platfrms, availability is still limited. As we have already seen, freign-language films (including nn-eurpean films) represent nly abut 3% f the films screened f British terrestrial televisin, and many f these are bradcast very late at night. 20 The increasingly availability VD services such as Amazn Prime and Netflix the market fr which grew has grwn by 400% since 2002 t reach 323 millin shuld make it easier t access Eurpean cntent. Hwever, as recent survey by the Eurpean Audivisual Observatry fund that nly 8 f the 50 mst cmmercial and critically successful Eurpean titles f recent years were available n the UK versin f Netflix, while nly 6 were available n Sky. 21 Explaining the lack f availability Part f the reasn why Eurpean films have such limited availability is that majr US distributrs such as Warner Brs r 20 th Century Fx rarely acquire freign language films fr the UK market. Acquisitin f Eurpean film tends t be left t smaller, independent distributrs. These firms nt nly lack leverage with cinemas and bradcasters; they als have little resurces t munt natinwide publicity campaigns. 16 BFI. Statistical Yearbk 2014, p.50. 17 Bx Office Mj. Amur United Kingdm and Ireland and Malta: Weekend Bx Office. http://bxfficemj.cm/mvies/?page=intl&cuntry=uk&id=amur.htm 18 BFI. Statistical Yearbk 2014, p.111. 19 Andreas Wiseman. Chain f Events. Screen Internatinal, Octber 2014, pp.4-5. 20 BFI. Statistical Yearbk 2014, p.143. 21 Eurpean Audivisual Observatry. 2013. Availability f a Sample f Eurpean Films n VD services. http://www.bs.ce.int/dcuments/205595/264625/publichearing18-11- 2013+Prmtin+f+Eurpean+films+and+TV+series+nline.pdf/be6f45cd-cc87-4a93-9709-35e7e844f58d
Distributin is further hampered by the fragmentatin f the Eurpean market. The distributin rights fr Eurpean films are usually sld n a cuntry-by-cuntry basis. This is makes it difficult t rganise a pan-eurpean marketing campaign which might capitalise f pled resurces and crssbrder interest, as is the case with Hllywd releases. As a result, Eurpean films ften lack public recgnitin. A BFI survey, fr example, fund that ver three-quarters (77%) f British peple had never heard f The Lives f Others ne f the mst successful Eurpean films f recent years. 22 By cntrast, nly 2% had never heard f Harry Ptter and the Deathly Hallws, while nly 5% had never head f Calendar Girls. Eurpean film distributrs d benefit frm public subsidy and supprt. In 2012, the EU s MEDIA prgramme awarded UK distributrs ver 1.3 millin t supprt the distributin f Eurpean films in the UK, while the Eurpa netwrk, a chain f 54 cinemas which specialises in screening Eurpean film, received a further 900,000. 23 Furthermre, as part f a strategy t bast the nlinedistributin f Eurpean films, Curzn Cinemas received 400,000 t expand its new Vide-n- Demand service, which specialises in art huse and freign-language feature films. Meanwhile, the British Film Institute (BFI) prvides additinal supprt t Eurpean films distributin, marketing and audience develpment thrugh its Distributin and Audience Funds. Its wn new Vide-n-Demand service the BFI Player includes a gd selectin f Eurpean films. Hwever, public subsidy desn t necessarily guarantee bx ffice success. Fr example, in 2012 Sda Pictures received 28,000 frm the MEDIA prgramme fr Paradise: Lve, an Austrian cmedy, yet nly managed t sell 2,224 tickets in the UK. 24 In ther wrds, the MEDIA prgramme subsidised each audience member by 12.50. 3. The tp-perfrming Eurpean films within the UK Despite these challenges, sme Eurpean films have perfrmed well in the UK. Over the last decade there have been abut 25 Eurpean films have sld ver 125,000 tickets in the UK bx ffice (figure 5). 25 As with mst pictures which perfrm well in the UK, these films have higher budgets than mst Eurpean films 12 millin cmpared with the Eurpean average f 3 millin. They als enjy the backing f distributrs like Optimum, Icn, Mmentum and Artificial Eye which have carved a strng niche in terms f freign-language film distributin. Mst were pan-eurpean hits, with distributin in 20 territries r mre. Film Lang Cuntry Year Directrs Distributr Admisssins Genre Girl With The Dragn Tatt SV SE / DK / DE 2009 Niels Arden Oplev Mmentum 1,064,438 Mystery/Thriller Vlver ES ES 2006 Pedr Almdóvar Pathe 606,125 Cmedy/Crime/Drama The Lives f Others DE DE 2006 F. H. vn Dnnersmarck Lins Gate 534,610 Drama/Thriller Cc Befre Channel FR FR 2009 Anne Fntaine Optimum 482,884 Bigraphy/Drama Pan's Labyrinth ES ES / MX 2006 Guillerm del Tr Optimum 384,608 Drama/Fantasy/War The Orphange ES ES 2007 Juan Antni Bayna Icn 341,453 Drama/Mystery/Thriller La Vie En Rse FR FR / CZ / GB 2007 Olivier Dahan Icn 335,568 Bigraphy/Drama/Music Untuchable FR FR 2011 Olivier Nakache Entertainment 316,686 Bigraphy/Cmedy/Drama Caché (Hidden) FR FR / AT / DE / IT 2005 Michael Haneke Artificial Eye 297,358 Drama/Mystery/Thriller The Girl Wh Played With Fire SV SE / DK / DE 2009 Daniel Alfredsn Mmentum 279,038 Crime/Drama/Mystery Brken Embraces ES ES 2009 Pedr Almdóvar Warner Brs 249,036 Drama/Rmance/Thriller 22 BFI, Opening Our Eyes, p.57. 23 MEDIA Desk UK. 2013. MEDIA in the UK 2012. Lndn: MEDIA Desk UK, pp.6-11. 24 MEDIA Desk UK. 2013. MEDIA in the UK 2012, p.7. 25 LUMIERE database.
The Skin I Live In ES ES 2011 Pedr Almdóvar 20th Century Fx 248,487 Drama/Hrrr/Thriller I've Lved Yu S Lng FR FR / DE 2008 Philippe Claudel Lins Gate 236,025 Drama Tell N One FR FR 2006 Guillaume Canet Revlver 235,720 Crime/Drama/Mystery Headhunters NO NO / DE 2011 Mrten Tyldum Mmentum 225,837 Crime/Thriller Let the Right One In SV SE 2008 Tmas Alfredsn Mmentum 205,252 Drama/Hrrr Driving Bell and the Butterfly FR FR 2007 Julian Schnabel Pathe 194,241 Bigraphy/Drama Gmrra IT IT 2008 Matte Garrne Optimum 182,029 Crime/Drama Perseplis FR FR 2007 Vincent Parnnaud Optimum 174,257 Animatin/Bigraphy/Drama The Class FR FR 2008 Laurent Cantet Artificial Eye 163,294 Drama I am Lve IT IT 2009 Luca Guadagnin Metrdme 158,674 Drama/Rmance Ptiche FR FR / BE 2010 Françis Ozn StudiCanal 137,812 Cmedy The Cunterfeiters DE AT / DE 2007 Stefan Ruzwitzky Metrdme 130,726 Crime/War/Drama Rust & Bne FR FR / BE 2012 Jacques Audiard StudiCanal 129,211 Drama/Rmance The Fx and the Child FR FR 2007 Luc Jacquet Pathe 126,733 Adventure/Drama/Family Figure 5. Tp 25 Eurpean Films in the UK (excludes English language films and animatins). Surce: LUMIERE/IMDb But aside frm these industrial factrs, the UK s best-selling Eurpean films share certain characteristics which are perhaps key t their success. Firstly, many are the wrk f criticallyacclaimed Eurpean auteurs. The films f Spanish directr Pedr Almdvar particularly stand ut in this regard. A recent BFI Exit Pll fund that 74% had cme t see Brken Embraces specifically because it was an Almdvar film. 26 Directrs like Francis Ozn and Michael Haneke enjy similar fan bases. Secndly, these films were all well-received by critics. Mst have wn film awards and several are Oscar winners. The UK s tp 25 Eurpean films have an average Metascre (an aggregate f reviews frm leading critics) f 78 and the average Tmatmeter scre is 84 which is very high fr Eurpean films. Gd reviews are an imprtant bait fr Eurpean film fans. A BFI Exit Pll fr the Lives Of Others fund that the main reasn peple had cme t see the film was the psitive cverage it had received in the press. I ve even been tld by ne film prducer than a review by The Guardian s Peter Bradshaw is enugh t make r break mst Eurpean films. Thirdly, many f these films fcus n the lives f famus peple. Examples include La Vie en Rse, abut the French singer Edif Piaf, r Cc Befre Chanel, abut designer Gabrielle Chanel. Films abut recent plitical r histrical events als prve t be a draw. Hwever, cntemprary dramas (particularly in the frm f dark psychlgical thrillers) generally perfrm best verall. Almst nne f the tp 25 Eurpean films (and nly 5% f the tp 100) are actin, adventure and fantasy films the genres which appeal mst t mainstream cinema audiences. What des this mean, then, in terms f hw we see ther Eurpeans? Over the cming weeks, I plan t explre this questin in detail thrugh analysing a handful f case-study films. In the meantime, thugh, I want t ffer sme brad trends in terms f the kinds f cultural encunters which Eurpean films enable. Between 2005 and 2015 films frm 26 Eurpean cuntries were released in the UK. Yet almst half the admissins (48%) fr Eurpean films were fr French prductins. Spanish prductins accunted fr 12% f admissins, while Swedish and German prductins each represented 10% f admissins. Films frm the ther 22 Eurpean cuntries share the remaining 20% f admissins. 26 BFI Exit Plls. http://www.bfi.rg.uk/film-industry/lttery-funding-distributin/insight-reprts-case-studiesaudience-research/exit-plls
In terms f language, the pattern is much the same. 48% f admissins were fr French language films, 12% fr Spanish, 11% fr German and 10% fr Swedish, while the rest shared the remaining 19% f admissins. Figure 6. Ttal admissins fr Eurepan films in the UK by language, 2005-12. Surce: LUMIERE database Thus, while the UK has received films frm all ver Eurpe, audiences nly really engage with a fairly narrw range f films in terms f language and natinality. Few f the films we cnsume cme frm suthern r eastern Eurpe. T be sure, almst half f the Eurpean films released in the UK since 2005 are internatinal cprductins, ften invlving several Eurpean partners, including suthern and eastern Eurpeans. Yet it mst cases these partnerships are frged fr financial rather than cultural reasns. They seem t have little discernible impact n characters, setting r stryline. Thus, as far as the UK cnsumptin f Eurpean films ges, the image f Eurpe presented t British audiences is ne which centres n cntemprary life in large Western Eurpean cuntries. 4. British attitudes twards Eurpean films But hw d British audiences make sense f this imagery? What rle, if any, des it play in shaping awareness f and identificatin with ther Eurpeans? And what abut thse wh rarely r never engage with Eurpean film? D they feel less Eurpean as a result? These are sme f the questins we plan investigate in the next phase f ur research which invlves interviewing audiences abut their attitudes twards Eurpean film. At the mment ur plans are still fairly pen, s I welcme any feedback frm clleagues. But it is likely t invlve the
fllwing. Firstly, we plan t d a questinnaire circulated with the help f a marketing research cmpany which will target a representative sample f the UK ppulatin (e.g. abut 1,500 peple). This questinnaire will ask peple abut their cnsumptin f Eurpean films as well as their pinins abut subtitles and the cntent and the availability f Eurpean films. As well as basic demgraphic infrmatin, it will als ask peple abut their sense f Eurpean identity and hw much engagement they have with ther Eurpeans. This is t see if there is any relatinship between thse wh regularly Eurpean films and thse wh feel mst Eurpean. I ve been testing different versins f the questinnaire n members f the public, but I d welcme any further feedback frm clleagues. There are cpies circulating the rm (see appendix). A further purpse f the questinnaire is t identify and invite respndents t participate in fllwup interviews r fcus grups. We envisage cnducting 15-20 fcus grups with different audiences acrss the cuntry. Sme f these will be targeted at peple wh regularly watch Eurpean films, while thers will be with thse wh rarely r never watch Eurpean films, t allw fr cmparisn. In preparatin fr the fcus grup, respndents will be asked t watch a particular Eurpean film, which will be discussed as part f the grup. It is hped that these discussins will prvide a much richer surce f data then the questinnaire allws fr. In additin, we als plan t d sme semistructured telephne interviews with peple wh, fr whatever reasn, can t cntribute t a fcus grup. Thrugh cmbining these different methds, we hpe t generate a rich and cmprehensive bdy f evidence which will allw us t understand what peple think abut Eurpean films and hw this relates t their wn sense f identity. Because nthing f this nature has been dne befre, ur apprach will be partly experimental, trying ut different methds t see what wrks and adapting things ver time. Cnclusin Let me end, then, with a brief summary f what I have utlined tday. The market fr Eurpean films in the UK is fairly small and niche. Only abut 5% f British peple regularly watch Eurpean films acrss all platfrms. Thse wh engage mst with Eurpean films tend t be well-educated with a gd knwledge f film and ther cultural activities. Hwever, it is nt clear why the majrity rarely r never watch Eurpean films. Certainly, cultural barriers play a part. But equally significant is the limited availability f Eurpean films in cinemas and n televisin. One r tw Eurpean films each year d reach a wider audience. Mst cme frm France and t a lesser extent Spain, Germany and Sweden, while in terms f genre, cntemprary scial dramas are mst ppular. Thus British audiences tend t receive a fairly narrw image f Eurpe ne centred n cntemprary life in large Western Eurpean cuntries. That said, it is nly thrugh audience research that will we be able t understand what peple think abut Eurpean films and hw this relates t their sense f identity. Thus the next phase f the MeCETES prject invlves interviewing audiences abut their attitudes twards Eurpean film thrugh a cmbinatin f questinnaires and fcus grups. Wrd cunt: 5,415.
Appendix: Film questinnaire The University f Yrk is cnducting a research prject n cntemprary Eurpean film. As part f this prject, we are investigating British attitudes twards films frm ther Eurpean cuntries. Fr mre infrmatin abut the prject, visit: www.mecetes.c.uk Please take five minutes t cmplete the fllwing questinnaire. It desn't matter whether yu regularly watch Eurpean films r nt. Yu may answer annymusly and yur respnses will be kept strictly cnfidential. Thank yu fr yur participatin. *Required D yu currently live in the UK? * Mark nly ne val. Yes N Stp filling ut this frm. Hw ften d yu watch films? * This includes films watched in the cinema r n TV, DVD r the Internet Mark nly ne val. At least nce a week At least nce a mnth At least nce every six mnths At least nce a year Less ften Never Of the films yu saw last 12 mnths, hw many f them were Eurpean films (i.e. frm anther Eurpean cuntry)? * Recent examples include: The Great Beauty (Italy), The Hunt (Denmark), Blue Is The Warmest Clur (France), The Brken Circle Breakdwn (Belgium) and Walesa: Man f Hpe (Pland). Mark nly ne val. Nne At least ne Sme (2-5 films) Many (6 r mre films) Please chse the sentence that best describes yur pinin f films frm ther Eurpean cuntries. * Mark nly ne val. I lve Eurpean film I like sme Eurpean films but nt thers I watch sme Eurpean films but dn't particularly enjy them I dn't watch many Eurpean films Many Eurpean films are shwn with the aid f subtitles in the UK. T what extent d yu agree r disagree with the fllwing statements? * Mark nly ne val per rw. Sme f the stry and dialgue is lst with subtitles. Subtitles are difficult t read r fllw. Subtitles require t much cncentratin. Subtitles are distracting. Strngly agree Tend t agree Neither agree nr disagree Tend t disagree Strngly disagree Dn't knw
Eurpean films ften have different prductin values t Hllywd mvies (e.g. they are made n lwer budgets). T what extent d yu agree r disagree with the fllwing statements? * Mark nly ne val per rw. Eurpean films can be slw and bring. Eurpean films have pr-quality acting. Eurpean films are ften strange and uncnventinal. Eurpean films deal with depressing themes and scial issues. Strngly agree Tend t agree Neither agree nr disagree Tend t disagree Strngly disagree Dn't knw Eurpean films may be watched in cinemas and n TV, DVD and the Internet. T what extent d yu agree r disagree with the fllwing statements? * Mark nly ne val per rw. Eurpean films are prly publicised. Eurpean films rarely appear n televisin. Eurpean films are difficult t find n DVD r the Internet. Eurpean films are hardly ever shwn in my lcal cinema. Strngly agree Tend t agree Neither agree nr disagree Tend t disagree Strngly disagree Irrespective f the level f yur knwledge, can yu speak r understand any ther language besides English? * Answer even if English is nt yur native langauge. Mark nly ne val. Yes N Skip t questin 10. Hw well d yu speak this ther language? * Mark nly ne val. Dn't knw Fluently Quite well Just s-s Prly Nt at all Dn't knw Have yu lived in anther Eurpean cuntry fr three r mre cnsecutive mnths since yu turned 18? * This might be any EU r Cuncil f Eurpe member state, including Turkey, Russia r Ukraine. Mark nly ne val. Yes N Have yu visited anther Eurpean cuntry in the last 12 mnths? *
Mark nly ne val. Yes N D yu have any family members, in-laws r friends wh live in anther Eurpean cuntry? * Mark nly ne val. Yes N Skip t questin 14. Dn't knw Skip t questin 14. In the last 12 mnths, hw frequently did yu talk t family members, in-laws and friends wh live in anther Eurpean cuntry either by phne r using email, text message r scial media (e.g.. Facebk)? * Mark nly ne val. Every day At least nce a week At least nce a mnth Less ften Never Dn't knw T what extent d yu agree r disagree with the fllwing statements? * Mark nly ne val per rw. Strngly agree Tend t agree Neither agree nr disagree Tend t disagree Strngly disagree Dn't knw I feel a citizen f the twn / city / cunty where I live I feel English / Welsh / Scttish / Nrthern Irish I feel British I feel Eurpean I feel a citizen f the wrld Hw ld are yu? * Mark nly ne val. Under 18 18-34 35-64 65 r lder Prefer nt t say Are yu... * Mark nly ne val. Male Female Prefer nt t say Regin * Mark nly ne val. Nrth Nrth West Yrkshire & Humberside West Midlands East Anglia
Suth West Suth East Greater Lndn Wales Sctland Nrthern Ireland Which f the fllwing best describes yur ccupatinal status? * Mark nly ne val. Higher & intermediate managerial, administrative r prfessinal Supervisry, clerical & junir managerial, administrative, prfessinal Skilled manual ccupatins Semi-skilled & unskilled manual ccupatins Lking after hme/family r carer Student Retired Unemplyed r nt in wrk fr any reasn Prefer nt t say What is yur highest level f educatinal attainment? * Mark nly ne val. N qualificatin GCSEs (r equivalent qualificatin) A r AS Level (r equivalent qualificatin) GNVQ r Apprenticeship Undergraduate Degree Pst-Graduate Degree Prefer nt t say What is yur ethnic grup? * Mark nly ne val. White - British White - Irish White - Any ther White backgrund Mixed - White and Black Caribbean Mixed - White and Black African Mixed - White and Asian Mixed - Any ther Mixed backgrund Asian r Asian British - Indian Asian r Asian British - Pakistani Asian r Asian British - Bangladeshi Asian r Asian British - Any ther Asian backgrund Black r Black British - Caribbean Black r Black British - African Black r Black British - Any ther Black backgrund Chinese Other ethnic grup Prefer nt t say Wuld yu be happy t be cntacted by telephne with sme additinal questins fllwing frm this survey? * Please nte that we will nly be cntacting a small number f peple by telephne, s nt all wh agree will eventually be cntacted. Mark nly ne val. Yes I am happy t be cntacted by telephne fr fllw-up questins Skip t questin 22. N I wuld prefer nt t be cntacted by telephne fr fllw-up questins Stp filling ut this frm. Yur cntact details Please enter yu name and telephne number belw if yu are happy fr us t cntact yu fr fllw-up questins. Yur details will be kept strictly cnfidential and will nt be passed n t any third parties. Yur full name (e.g. Jhn Smith): Yur telephne number, including dialling cde (e.g. 01904 325288):
Mark nly ne val per rw. Nne Mrnings (9am - 12pm) Afternns (12pm - 5pm) Evenings (5pm - 9pm) Mndays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays Saturdays