Zamyatalin suggests taxing Hollywood films
It is necessary to tax Hollywood films to support Belarusian film industry. This idea or announcement was pronounced by the director of the National Film Studio “Belarusfilm” Uladzimir Zamyatalin, a former head ideologist of the country. ERB has found out that there are 30% Hollywood films shown in our cinemas but they are usually watched by 70% of cinema-goers.
Uladzіmіr Zamyatalіn announced this suggestion of “Belarusfilm” in an interview with “Narodnaya Hazeta”. But he refused to comment on the announcement. ERB discussed the necessity of the tax with the director of “Kinovideoprokat” Vasil Koktysh. He told us that they talked about the new tax long ago.
Vasіl Koktysh: “Zamyatalіn has not invented anything, I heard about it from other people. The tax is needed to support the national film studio … Zamyatalin is not the fist one to have invented it. The studio is supported by the state now. If they introduce the tax we will support them”.
According to Vasіl Koktysh, 30% of films shown in Minsk cinemas are American and nobody is going to refuse showing them because the majority of cinema-goers like them. But it is possible to earn some money on it”.
Vasіl Koktysh: “We have 30% of American films. And the 30% of films are watched by 70% of viewers. We are not that rich to keep such huge cinemas. They were built like that and we cannot change it. We do not need cinema halls for 1300 or 900 people but we already have them”.
To make money on Hollywood you have to raise the price of tickets. If viewers like those films they will agree to pay a bit more. But it may not happen because films are not only watched in cinema halls.
Vasіl Koktysh: “There is no way we can raise the price of tickets. Films are being shown for free on TV and we have a lot of cheap discs. If we raise the price of tickets we should get ready for the situation we encountered in 1997. Nobody went to the cinema in Minsk at that time; everyone preferred watching films on TV and video players”.
ERB’S NOTE:
The average cinema ticket’s price during the last nine months in Minsk was 3113 roubles. However, tickets for children are also included in the average price. Tickets for foreign and Belarusian films cost the same. The price changes depending on the duration of films and on the comfortableness of the hall.
The practice of taxing Hollywood films is implemented in some countries, for example, in France where Hollywood films make up about 72% of placards. Uladzimir Zamaytalin says we have 99%. The practice was introduced in France 20 years ago but it does not bring inspiration.
Vasіl Koktysh: “There is such a tax in France, for example. But there isn’t any in Germany. There about 80% of Hollywood films in Germany and 72% - in France. There is a network of cinemas that refrain from showing Hollywood films and they are supported by the state. Those who show Hollywood films earn their money themselves. Why should the state support those who can earn money themselves? It would be ridiculous if the state supported the “Kastrychnik” cinema. But there are other cinemas too”.
Vasіl Koktysh is not against the tax. He says we should not use the experience of France. French films were very popular in the 1970s and only their commercial projects made according to Hollywood patterns are in demand now.
Vasіl Koktysh: The administration of “Europe Cinema” is supporting national film studios including French studios with the help of state grants. They say that France has been supporting its film studios for 20 years and that it has reached nothing good so far. We should not try to be like France and Italy, we should better try using the experience of Berlin”.
Uladzіmіr Zamyatalіn announced this suggestion of “Belarusfilm” in an interview with “Narodnaya Hazeta”. But he refused to comment on the announcement. ERB discussed the necessity of the tax with the director of “Kinovideoprokat” Vasil Koktysh. He told us that they talked about the new tax long ago.
Vasіl Koktysh: “Zamyatalіn has not invented anything, I heard about it from other people. The tax is needed to support the national film studio … Zamyatalin is not the fist one to have invented it. The studio is supported by the state now. If they introduce the tax we will support them”.
According to Vasіl Koktysh, 30% of films shown in Minsk cinemas are American and nobody is going to refuse showing them because the majority of cinema-goers like them. But it is possible to earn some money on it”.
Vasіl Koktysh: “We have 30% of American films. And the 30% of films are watched by 70% of viewers. We are not that rich to keep such huge cinemas. They were built like that and we cannot change it. We do not need cinema halls for 1300 or 900 people but we already have them”.
To make money on Hollywood you have to raise the price of tickets. If viewers like those films they will agree to pay a bit more. But it may not happen because films are not only watched in cinema halls.
Vasіl Koktysh: “There is no way we can raise the price of tickets. Films are being shown for free on TV and we have a lot of cheap discs. If we raise the price of tickets we should get ready for the situation we encountered in 1997. Nobody went to the cinema in Minsk at that time; everyone preferred watching films on TV and video players”.
ERB’S NOTE:
The average cinema ticket’s price during the last nine months in Minsk was 3113 roubles. However, tickets for children are also included in the average price. Tickets for foreign and Belarusian films cost the same. The price changes depending on the duration of films and on the comfortableness of the hall.
The practice of taxing Hollywood films is implemented in some countries, for example, in France where Hollywood films make up about 72% of placards. Uladzimir Zamaytalin says we have 99%. The practice was introduced in France 20 years ago but it does not bring inspiration.
Vasіl Koktysh: “There is such a tax in France, for example. But there isn’t any in Germany. There about 80% of Hollywood films in Germany and 72% - in France. There is a network of cinemas that refrain from showing Hollywood films and they are supported by the state. Those who show Hollywood films earn their money themselves. Why should the state support those who can earn money themselves? It would be ridiculous if the state supported the “Kastrychnik” cinema. But there are other cinemas too”.
Vasіl Koktysh is not against the tax. He says we should not use the experience of France. French films were very popular in the 1970s and only their commercial projects made according to Hollywood patterns are in demand now.
Vasіl Koktysh: The administration of “Europe Cinema” is supporting national film studios including French studios with the help of state grants. They say that France has been supporting its film studios for 20 years and that it has reached nothing good so far. We should not try to be like France and Italy, we should better try using the experience of Berlin”.
