Professional Meeting with Bruno Hodebert and Fabienne Servan Schreiber

Following the debate some more experienced participants felt that the talks did not offer enough new information about the practicalities of the industry. In particular they were disappointed that relations with other specialists were not adequately discussed. However, others felt the speakers provided an informative introduction to the profession in France. It was wonderful to listen to professionals with contagious enthusiasm for the diverse world of film production.

For the first of several events designed to sharpen the critical acclaim and practical knowledge of the participants of the Prix de la Jeunesse, these young Europeans were privileged to a rendezvous with two film producers.

Bruno Hodebert, who is also a course director at the ESEC film school, used the example of his own career to illustrate the nature of this profession. He outlined his experience ranging from working on location in Burkina Faso, to producing documentaries as well as short and feature films ; his work includes L’Origine du Monde. Emphasising the eclecticism of the job and the importance of public relations he commented that the partnership between producers and directors is often like a marriage !

These themes were further explored by the dynamic Fabienne Servan Schreiber, who has succeeded in this male dominated profession with works such as La Honte de la Republique. Her enthusiasm for documentaries was evident but she deplored the fact that television production, in particular fiction, is considered less prestigious than cinema in France.

It was interesting to learn specifically about the French system, in which taxes deriving from cinema tickets sales and television are used to support the film industry. As cinema production is partly supported by the television industry, producers in France are sometimes challenged to meet the conflicting expectations of very different audiences.

Camilla Buchanan

Zbigniew Wojnowski