“No algorithms, just human suggestions”: with a catalog of classic films selected by famous directors, French streaming platform Cinetek has earned the label’anti-Netflix‘ and challenge the streaming giants. The concept behind Cinetek is simple: the biggest names in cinema provide a list of 50 films that influenced them, the site team tracked down the copyright holders to make them available for paid streaming. To date, approximately 150 directors from around the world have submitted 3,500 films, 2,500 of which are available on Cinetek. For €4.99 per month, Cinetek offers access to around a hundred films from its catalogue, which is updated regularly.
The idea was born in the early 2010s and was about to happen French directors Cédric Klapisch, Pascale Ferran and Laurent Cantetdriven by the need to watch films that were not available online, at a time when video on demand was poised to replace DVDs. “We don’t want this to be an elitist product,” said Cédric Klapisch, giving the example of an offer of 19 euros per year for under-25s. The platform survives thanks to its approximately 20,000 subscribers, has no advertising, no shareholders or investors, and operates on a non-profit economic model. The company benefits from the patronage and support of institutions such as the Center National du Cinéma, which provides funding of 400,000 euros, equivalent to a quarter of its annual turnover. The founders now aim to reach 30,000 customers to ensure the continuity of the offering.
Negotiations with American studios such as Universal, Warner, and Paramount were not easy because they were generally reluctant to give away the rights to some of their films. “We still miss Disney and MGM, but sooner or later we will get there,” said Pascale Ferran. The site offers a retrospective of the great directors, actors, actresses and movements that have made the history of cinema, through a selection that is as eclectic as possible in terms of genre and country of origin, ranging from auteur films to 20th century blockbusters.
