Paper Shortage in France

The French written press is groaning under rising paper prices. To address this crises, twelve cinema magazines have joined forces by writing a letter to the minister of culture and the director of the CNC (Centre national du cinema et de l’image animée). Paper prices have doubled over the last six months. In combination with the impact of the covid crisis, this unprecedented increase could strike a fatal blow to an already jeopardized sector. Signed by Les Cahiers du cinéma and Positif among others, the letter is an attempt to draw attention to “the financial and economic urgency” of the current situation. But it is not only a financial question, they write, “it is almost philosophical: we feel completely let down!” The amount of funding these film magazines receive is not proportionate to their contribution to the French film industry, which is why the authors ask the authorities to increase their budget in the face of the current crisis. They are afraid that, if this cry for help remains unanswered, the future of the the French film press could be at stake.

Télérama has published the letter in its entirety here.