Screendaily interviewed Cannes head Thierry Fremaux this morning for an in-depth interview and, of course, the topic of Netflix was talked about. Fremaux admitted being “heavily criticized” by his superiors and that he was almost fired last year for programming two Netflix films, "Okja" and "The Meyerowitz Stories." He described the dispute with his superiors as “very violent.” All of this because Netflix didn't adhere to the ridiculous French law that states a film has to wait three years after its theatrical release to stream online.
Fremaux says he pleaded with Netflix to let them screen Alfonso Cuaron‘s "Roma" and Orson Welles‘ "The Other Side of the Wind" at this year's upcoming edition. The streaming giant, of course, didn't budge.
“I am asking them to accept that rule,” Fremaux relates. “They show dozens and dozens of films each year on Netflix. Could they not release just one film a year theatrically in France in order for it to come to Cannes?”
“The consequence of the chronology means [Roma and The Other Side of the Wind would] come out three years later,” Fremaux explains. “Sure, it’s absurd. On a personal level, I think it’s time to change it, but for now, in 2018, we are where we are. If they accepted to bring out the film, to give it to a distributor and to say, ‘Look, we also financed Orson Welles’s The Other Side Of The Wind, they would be heroes and it would be fabulous for their image.”
Fremaux has been quite vocal about his love for Cuaron's movie, he mentioned to Variety that he's seen "Roma" "several times" and that "it’s a marvelous film [that] we wanted to have it in competition."
Fremaux has been quite vocal about his love for Cuaron's movie, he mentioned to Variety that he's seen "Roma" "several times" and that "it’s a marvelous film [that] we wanted to have it in competition."