Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will consider in September an international summit dedicated to cinema, series, and video games. This comes at a time when the cultural industry is facing technological changes, the fragility of theaters, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
The Cinema & Moving Image Summit will take place on September 7th at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul de Vence. Lee Jae-myung will visit France on this occasion as part of a state visit.
Approximately 100 decision-makers and creators from around the world are expected to attend. The meeting will bring together leaders of major groups, filmmakers, talents, public officials, representatives of independent cinema, and education professionals.
The program goes beyond just cinema. Discussions will cover the future of theatrical distribution, the convergence between television, streaming, and video games, heritage preservation, sustainable production, and artificial intelligence.
Gaëtan Bruel, president of the CNC, sees this as a historic turning point. “We are experiencing a moment as decisive as the invention of cinema by the Lumière brothers 130 years ago,” he stated, adding, “The challenges are immense, but nothing is set in stone: this moment of crisis can be a moment of reinvention, provided we are proactive and united.”
His analysis highlights the political significance of the summit. “At first, cinema was invented by creators and entrepreneurs. Today, a new dimension is added: we need a global governance of our sector to meet the challenges ahead,” he argued.
The choice of a Franco-South Korean co-presidency is not just symbolic. Both countries share a rich cinematic history, dynamic local industries, and a similar vision of the importance of the author.
South Korea has also made a mark in the world of series, with global hits like “Squid Game” on Netflix. Last month, the country was the guest of honor at the Series Mania festival in Lille, coinciding with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea.
Despite economic tensions affecting the sector, the summit aims to showcase the symbolic weight of South Korea in global cinema. Bong Joon-ho made history with “Parasite,” winning the Palme d’Or and multiple Oscars in 2020.
This year, another esteemed South Korean figure, Park Chan-wook, will preside over the Cannes Film Festival jury. In this context, the summit initiated by Emmanuel Macron and Lee Jae-myung aims to highlight the influence of both countries in global discussions on the future of visual media.
