Outgoing Spanish Film Academy Boss Warns Industry It Needs To Respect Customers

from the good-for-him dept

Last month, we covered the controversy in Spain, where the head of the Spanish Film Academy, Alex de la Iglesia, had announced that he was stepping down from that position immediately following the Goya awards (the equivalent of the Oscars) in protest over the decision by politicians to reinstate the controversial new copyright law, that was written to appease the US.

While there was some talk of forcing him to step down before the awards (Spanish Academy members claimed it was improper of him to actually talk to people on Twitter), it appears they let him go through with it, and he gave a speech where he reminded the attendees of the need to respect consumers and not treat them as criminals. Among the attendees was Culture Minister Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde, who isn't just a supporter of the new copyright law, but for whom it's named after. The translated condensed version of his speech is well worth reading.

"The Internet isn't the future; it's the present and the way for hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy movies and culture. The Internet is the salvation of our cinema."

As for treating people like criminals?

"Web surfers don't like to be called that; they're actually people, the public. The public that we have lost because they don't go to the movies anymore because they spend their time sitting in front of a computer screen. Change is needed to come up with a new model for the film business. We have a moral responsibility to the public. We make movies because citizens allow us to make them and we owe them respect and our thank you."

And further on the subject of respecting the fans:

"We must be up to this privilege that society offers us. If we want them to respect us, we must respect them first."

Filed Under: alex de la iglesia, film academy, goya awards, respect, spain

Spanish Film Academy President May Be Fired For Listening To Fans Who Don't Like New Copyright Law

from the how-dare-you-talk-to-the-people dept

We were just talking about how some Spanish politicians simply ignored the fact that the legislature rejected the plan for a new US-driven copyright law, leading to widespread outrage among Spanish citizens. Reader Dodo points us to an astounding bit of followup. Apparently, the president of the Spanish Film Academy, Alex de la Iglesia announced his plans to resign as president of the Academy in a couple weeks (after the Goya awards -- the equivalent of the Oscars) in protest of the new law. He initially supported it, but was convinced otherwise after talking to people on Twitter about it (Google translation of the original Spanish). While he claims his decision is because he believes that "pitting creators against the web is a mistake," and noting that politicans have refused to listen to the people, his critics are claiming that "his compulsive passion for Twitter has played a dirty trick" on him. Not only that, but the Advisory Board of the Film Academy is threatening to oust him before his resignation, because of his being "tricked" by the internet. Apparently just talking the consumers and film fans and getting their opinion is prohibido in the Spanish Film Academy.

Filed Under: alex de la iglesia, copyright, culture, film academy, spain