Should streaming giants be made to fund domestic cinema?

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I manage a multilingual team responsible for covering the Swiss Abroad, providing them with the information they need to participate in political life in Switzerland. After studying political science in Neuchâtel and Bern, I started out in multimedia journalism at SwissTXT and RTS. Since 2008, I've been working at SWI swissinfo.ch, where I've held various journalistic and management positions.

Deutsch

Sollen die grossen Streaming-Plattformen zur Kasse gebeten werden, um Schweizer Filmproduktionen zu finanzieren?
Français

Faut-il contraindre les grandes plateformes de streaming à passer à la caisse pour financer la production cinématographique suisse? Original
Italiano

Bisogna obbligare le grandi piattaforme di streaming a finanziare la produzione cinematografica svizzera?
Português

Netflix deve ajudar na produção do cinema suíço?
日本語

動画配信大手はスイス映画に出資すべき？
العربية

هل يجب إرغام منصات البث المباشر الرئيسية على تمويل إنتاج الأفلام السويسرية؟
中文

是否应该要求大型流媒体平台为瑞士电影制作付费？

Editorial note: following numerous reader contributions to this topic, we have now closed this debate. More topics are open for comments here. If you wish to contribute feedback on this topic or suggest other ideas for debates, please e-mail us at english@swissinfo.ch.

Swiss citizens will vote on May 15 on a proposed amendment to the federal legislation on culture and film production, which would oblige streaming platforms to invest up to 4% of their revenue from Switzerland in Swiss films and TV series. This would bring in an extra CHF18 million for local film production, according to government estimates.

The initiators of the referendum are youth wings of Switzerland’s centre right and rightwing parties. They believe that Swiss film production is already adequately supported and that it does not need any further aid from private business. What do you think? We would like to know your opinion!

From the article Voters to decide on funding of Swiss cinema by streaming giants

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

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LynxVegas 2022-05-10 11:41

Cinema still exists? I thought it had died out. When I went I tended to go when a film was coming to the end of its run, often in the afternoon (late lunch break) to avoid the noisy people. Usually I had the place to myself, which was wonderful. To sit and watch a film in peace without someone chatting, eating noisy food, playing on their phones, etc. Should streaming giants fund it? No idea. Is it a dying institution or can it be revived?

max 2022-05-02 20:38

Easy decision – I have voted No ! This beggar thy neighbor proposition makes no sense because all we could expect is more movies from many wannabe filmmakers. Real talents can obtain more efficient means to pay for the production, including crowd financing. One of our neighboring countries has been practicing for many years the cuddling of its music and film industry. Result: Lots of mediocrity...

Plop-plop 2022-04-30 16:46

If Swiss cinema is not really deemed worth watching then subsidising something that no one really wants won't exactly encourage them to make better films that people might actually want to watch. Success in cinema is based on quality of product not funding available. If it's worth producing funding will be provided by those who produce films. We don't need to be taxed through increased premiums from streaming services to fund bad cinema ideas here in Switzerland. Swiss film makers just had to strive to compete by being better. We will be paying for this by the way. All of our streaming premiums will simply be raised to pay the added cost of doing business in Switzerland.

texustermer 2022-04-29 21:34

Do existing subsidies work or do they support a Swiss film industry in the production of "artistic" content that no one watches?

Anonymous 2022-04-29 09:43

No. Global Streaming companies have no obligation to pay for local swiss media production costs.

Swisscott 2022-04-25 12:21

Of course not. I don’t mind if they bump a tax up a bit, but forcing Swiss content is ridiculous, If I had my choices limited because it was reduced against Swiss content, I’d go back to pirating.

NuclearEnergyIsGreen 2022-04-25 00:52

so.. Squid Games, Stranger Things, Black Mirror, Money Heist, Breaking Bad, all did well because the studios had more funding?? I can throw more examples of Spanish, Indian, Portuguese, Korean studios producing really great films and shows on shoe-string budgets.

There is false premise in people's minds that expensive = high quality.

marco brenni 2022-04-21 10:38

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

The market must be allowed to function: there are winners and losers - these are the basic rules! If we start not respecting them, we'll end up close to regimes where the State rules even in areas where it has no right to do so.

Bisogna lasciar funzionare il mercato: c'è chi vince e c'è che perde - queste sono le regole basilari! Se cominciamo a non rispettarle, finiremo prossimi ai regimi ove lo Stato comanda anche in ambiti che non gli spettano affatto.

Samuel Jaberg SWI SWISSINFO.CH 2022-04-20 09:05

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Hello Frank, your clarification is useful. The new law indeed foresees to oblige streaming platforms to propose 30% of Swiss OR European films in their catalog.

At the same time, these companies will be obliged to invest 4% of their turnover in Switzerland in the national film production, otherwise they will have to pay a tax of an equivalent amount.

I hope I have made myself clear, if not, do not hesitate to ask me for more details!

Bonjour Frank, votre précision est utile. La nouvelle loi prévoit en effet d'obliger les plateformes de streaming à proposer 30% de films suisses OU européens dans leur catalogue.

En parallèle, ces entreprises seront contraintes d'investir 4% de leur chiffre d'affaires réalisé en Suisse dans la production cinématographique nationale, faute de quoi elles devront d'acquitter d'une taxe d'un montant équivalent.

J'espère avoir été clair, sinon n'hésitez pas à me demander des précisions supplémentaires!

marco brenni 2022-04-15 09:07

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I do not agree with these totalitarian regime obligations. Swiss cinema, which is already largely subsidized by the state (!) must learn to stand on its own two feet, because if it doesn't, a precedent would be set to force the subsidization of other sectors of Swiss culture. The idea that large groups should be considered as cows to be milked, and only because they are powerful, goes against liberal economics. Instead of forcing them, one could convince them to invest in Switzerland as well, but without constraints of any kind.

Non sono d'accordo con questi obblighi da regimi totalitari. Il cinema svizzero, già largamente sovvenzionato dallo Stato (!) deve imparare a reggersi da solo, perché nel caso contrario, si aprirebbe un precedente per obbligare a sovvenzionare altri settori della cultura elvetica. L'idea che i grossi gruppi debbano essere considerati come delle vacche da mungere e solo perché potenti, è contro l'economia liberale. Invece di obbligare si potrebbe convincerli ad investire anche in Svizzera, ma senza costrizioni di sorta.

Samuel Jaberg SWI SWISSINFO.CH 2022-04-19 10:26

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

@marco brenni

Hello, of course you have the right to have your opinion on this voting issue. On the other hand, talking about "obligations of totalitarian regimes" is irrelevant for an obligation that already applies in other European and democratic countries. The European Union itself obliges online services to offer 30% European productions. Furthermore, streaming platforms operating in the EU are obliged to showcase European films and series. In a totalitarian country, you would not have had the opportunity to vote on this issue, or even to express your opinion publicly.

Bonjour, vous avez bien évidemment le droit d'avoir votre avis sur cet objet de votation. En revanche, parler d'"obligations de régimes totalitaires" est hors de propos pour une obligation qui s'applique déjà dans d'autres pays européens et démocratiques. L'Union européenne elle même contraint les services en ligne à proposer 30% de productions européennes. Par ailleurs, les plateformes de streaming actives dans l'UE sont obligées de mettre en valeur les séries et films européens. Dans un pays totalitaire, vous n'auriez pas eu l'occasion de voter sur ce sujet, ni même d'exprimer votre avis publiquement.

Frodo 2022-04-19 23:10

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

@Samuel Jaberg

Do you also know the joke ...
"Is it okay for a minor official to criticize a major official?"
"Of course! But probably only once..."

There was also once a good joke about elections.

And seriously: Today, almost everything is networked. Every expression of opinion is globally visible on the net. How does Marco Brenni know that his free expression of opinion here in the country will not lead to someone on the other side of the world being angry with him or simply considering his statement stupid and punishing him for it, in extreme cases liquidating him for it? The borders are open, here everyone may walk in and out undisturbed. Seen in this way, globalization with the net eliminates the free expression of opinion. Today, you don't need your own totalitarian regime for that.

Kennen Sie auch den Witz ...
"Darf ein kleiner Funktionär einen höheren Funktionär kritisieren?"
"Natürlich! Aber wahrscheinlich nur einmal..."

Über Wahlen gab es auch einmal ein guter Witz.

Und nun mal im Ernst: Heute ist fast alles miteinan der Vernetzt. Jede Meinungsäusserung wird im Netz global sichetbar. Woher will Marco Brenni wissen dass seine freie Meinungsäusserung hier zu lande nicht dazu führt, dass irgend jemand auf der anderen Seite der Erde sich über ihn ärgert oder einfach seine Aussage für dämlich halten würde und ihn dafür bestraft, im extremfalls dafür liquidiert? Die Grenzen sind offen, hier darf jeder ungestört herein und heraus spazieren. So gesehen, die Globalisierung mit dem Netz eliminiert die freie Meinungsäusserung. Dafür braucht man heute kein eigenes totalitäres Regime.

Isabelle Bannerman SWI SWISSINFO.CH 2022-04-20 12:57

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

@Frodo

Hello, I know that current world events are stressful. However, this is a discussion about the "Lex Netflix" vote in May. I'd like to ask you to stay on topic. What do you think about the ballot proposal? Can a levy on streaming services in Switzerland promote the film industry?

Hallo, ich weiss, dass das momentane Weltgeschehen belastend ist. Dies ist allerdings eine Diskussion um die "Lex Netflix"-Abstimmung im Mai. Ich möchte Sie bitten, beim Thema zu bleiben. Was denken Sie über die Abstimmungsvorlage? Kann eine Abgabe von Streamingdiensten in der Schweiz die Filmbranche fördern?

Jeje 2022-04-26 18:40

The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

@Samuel Jaberg

Hello, your argument does not hold water. Under the pretext that the European Union obliges online services to propose 30% of European production does not convince me. Can we compare foreign productions to Swiss productions? I'm sorry but Swiss productions are not very interesting for a large part of the population. If domestic productions do not come close to the tastes of the majority of this population, they will not be able to generate more income. Is it right to penalize Swiss users of streaming services? My answer is no.
If Swiss cinema does not want to evolve, it is not up to the people who do not watch Swiss productions to pay the bill.
Finally, I don't understand the way to create taxes for everything and for nothing.

Bonjour, votre argument ne tient pas la route. Sous prétexte que l'union européenne oblige les services en ligne de proposer 30% de production européenne ne me convainc pas. Peut-on comparer les productions étrangères aux productions suisses? Je suis désolé mais les productions suisses ne sont pas très intéressantes pour une large partie de la population. Si les productions indigènes ne se rapprochent pas aux goûts de la plus grande partie de cette population, elles ne pourront pas générer plus de revenus. Est-il normal de pénaliser les utilisateurs suisses des services de streaming? Ma réponse est non.
Si le cinéma suisse ne veut pas évoluer, ce n'est pas aux personnes qui ne sont pas assidues aux productions suisses de régler la facture.
Pour finir je ne comprends pas la manière de créer des taxes pour tout et pour rien.

Brice Tofly 2022-04-13 11:49

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

Maybe if the branch had been in a better situation, you could have found a job in it.

Forcing a company to invest in Switzerland would allow the industry to develop and adapt to the qualitative criteria of Netflix...

Peut-être que si la branche avait été dans une meilleure situation oé aurait pu trouver un emploi dans celle-ci.

Le fait d'obliger une entreprise à investir en Suisse permettrait à la branche de se développer et s'adapter aux critères qualitatifs de Netflix...

marco brenni 2022-04-21 10:35

The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

@Brice Tofly

We must never FORCE anyone in a truly liberal democracy: they are in fact typical vices of totalitarian systems that we do not like. I'm sure it won't pass muster on the ballot.

NON bisogna mai COSTRINGERE nessuno in una democrazia veramente liberale: sono infatti vizi tipici dei sistemi totalitari che non ci piacciono. Sono sicuro che non supererà lo scoglio della votazione.