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Enhancing the Euro-Mediterranean audiovisual cooperation



The Euromed audiovisual program aims at deepening mutual understanding between the two shores of the Mediterranean through motion pictures. One way to go beyond the ever controversial politics.


Valerio Caruso, Project Manager of Cineuropa program

The first phase of the Euromed audiovisual program became operational in 2000. Can we say that the program has successfully brought together people from both shores of the Mediterranean? It is clearly impossible to work miracles when funding is limited to 18 million Euros over five years. Certainly, the program has assembled producers of culture from the two shores of the Mediterranean, particularly those who mold public opinion. Clichés, prejudices, rise of Islamic radicalism, repeated terrorist attacks and threat of armed conflicts… All those issues seem to cast doubt on the very idea of proximity between the different populations of the Mediterranean. If dialogue remains difficult, it is because mutual representations and collective imagination seem fixed, and because there is a lack of openness and space in which to foster mutual discovery and exchange.

The Euromed audiovisual program gave the opportunity to civil society, filmmakers, producers and operators to expose their own truth. Three main projects seem emblematic to enlighten the program’s impact on the North and South population and on the development of dialogue:

EUROMEDIATOON-VIVA CARTHAGO: granted 3.98 million Euros, the project is a co-production of 26 animated movies and documentaries about legendary personalities that made history in the Mediterranean. Séfrou, a wise old man from Carthage, was faced with the collapse of this city due to Romans assaults, and wished to transmit the history of its civilization and of men who influenced it to future generations. The ship named Carthago and its crew set sail through the Mediterranean to explore its cultures and people. Thanks to this series, film-makers of the South had the opportunity to tell stories according to their own approach, and therefore, according to a point of view much different from the official versions that are often reductive.

EUROPA CINEMAS, which was granted a community funding amounting to 4.6 million Euros, supported the exhibition, distribution, and promotion of European and Mediterranean films. In Mediterranean countries, Europa Cinemas backed up 162 European or Mediterranean films, which were seen by around 8 million people.

MEDEA supported the development of 86 fiction and documentary films between 2000 and 2004 thanks to the financial support of Euromed Audiovisual (4 million Euros). One can measure MEDEA’s efficiency by analyzing the number of films produced: 62 films have been produced or are still in production, which represents a considerable figure compared to other development support programs. Many films have been awarded or have been selected for prestigious festivals. For example Waiting for the Clouds, by the Turkish director Yesim Ustaoglu, participated in the Berlin Film Festival 2005; Les yeux secs by the Moroccan Narjess Najar was selected for the “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” in Cannes 2003 and The Syrian Bride by the Israeli Eran Riklis has received, among others, the Best Film Award in Montreal in 2004.

(Excerpts from Cahiers Euromed, 2005)
 

What about filmmakers' opinion?

 

Some participated in Euromed audiovisual projects, while others received European funds. To the question: are co-productions possible tools for dialogue? Filmmakers and producers have mixed opinions.

Jean-Claude Codsi - Lebanon
We know how setting up a network of contacts is important in the world of cinema. MEDEA has been a great help in this domain, encouraging dialogue among various societies and cultures. We are looking to co-productions with Europe who is willing to participate in funding our movies. The fact remains that European institutions are the ones who decide if a Lebanese movie is going to be made or not. These movies must thus correspond to their demands, which are essentially conditioned by two choices: social (to tackle problems of our societies) or aesthetic (the search of cinematographic language which is our own one). The exclusiveness of these choices leads to a production of movies difficult to understand most of the time, hence, the total rupture between Lebanese movies and their public and the absence of internal dialogue.

Yousry Nasrallah - Egypt
Artistic co-productions that are granted European support could be considered tools for reinforcing Arab-European dialogue. Deprived of their freedom of expression by Saudi backers, producers find in these co-productions a tool for expression. Thus, they promote interior dialogue in their societies; something pretty much needed and appreciated. Intra-Arab dialogue is the first step that will help build a dialogue with others, so that an international cultural dialogue can be launched afterwards.

Omar Amiralay - Syria
Since Arab national institutions are unable to fulfill their mission, one should recognize the crucial role played by Europe in assisting innovation in the Arab world. However, a fruitful and well-adjusted dialogue is not conceivable as long as one of the parties is still in need of the other. It is difficult to ignore the policies and the orientations of backers such as European funds. Concerning the norms in the market, it can completely diverge from one European country to another, or even from a Northern European Scandinavian country to a Southern European country.

Abdelhai Laraki - Morocco
Knows as minor partner in cinematographic co-production, Morocco can today ensure the executive production after co-developing the artistic project and providing part of the funding. We, Moroccans, still hold copyrights within our territory, and a quota on the international level. If co-production has proven itself, I think that the accent must be put from now on at a strengthened cooperation to serve the accomplished movie, so that the dialogue established during the production phase would not be disrupted once the movie is done. Our efforts must apply to implementing connections, sharing information and coordinating distribution of our movies so that they can benefit from an efficient circulation in the Euro-Mediterranean area.

Moncef Dhouib - Tunisia
In order to become a tool of dialogue, co-production must go beyond the simple financial participation in a project. It must take in charge the task of communicating the spirit of the product to the public at large. Co-production among countries of the two sides of the Mediterranean often goes one way. We rarely see a country from the South participating in the production of a movie from the North. Dialogue is thus taking the shape of a monologue. Co-producing is a good start for dialogue, but if it is not followed by distribution, it remains a dialogue of the deaf. To enable dialogue, one must first learn how to listen to others…

Elia Suleiman - Palestine
It is true that the financial aspect is important; still it is hard for me to believe that it can generate a real dialogue. On the contrary, I think that only the quality of work is capable of promoting an exchange. Funding is a trap especially that backers are, in general, former colonialist countries, supporting today projects in their old colonies. If the producer chooses to finance this or that project, the director can consciously or unconsciously choose to reflect a reality or a fiction that producers may find attractive. A cultural dialogue is a real duet: why not presenting the work of European filmmakers in our countries? I fear that we should wait much longer before learning how to sing as a duo.

(Excerpts from Cahiers Euromed, 2005)

Refer to the projects fact sheets:




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