CITIES OF OPPORTUNITIES: CONNECTING CULTURE AND INNOVATION
Edited by Jason Pomeroy c:1r1Es OF OPPORTUNITIEls: CONNECTING CULTUF�E AND INNOVATIC)N Edited by Jason Pomeroy (
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;1 RoutlE�dge I� TaylOl' & Francis Group LONDON ANO NEWYORK Contributors
H.E DR THANI BIN AHMED AL ZEYOUDI Cabinet Member and Minister of Climate Change and Environment Abu Dhabi. United ArabEmirates
His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi was appointed Minister of Climate Change and Environment for the UAE in February 2016. In this role. he oversees the Ministry's mission to spearhead the UAE's drive to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change and protect the country's ecosystems through developing and implementing effective measures and policies. He previously served as Permanent Representative of the UAE to IRENA and Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. In 2015. he was awarded the first GCC Prize for Excellence in recognition of his efforts in renewable energy. His Excellency Dr Al Zeyoudi holds several degrees. most notably a PhD in strategy, programme and project management from SKEMA Business School.
EMMANUEL BENBIHY Producer. Cities of Love Franchise Shanghai, China
Emmanuel Benbihy has 25 years of experience as a creator. strategist and film producer. He has been living in Shanghai since 2009. With the movie Paris, je t'aime, he created the 'Cities of Love'. series. now pursuing its journey around the world (New York. Rio. Berlin. Jerusalem, LA, Shanghai, to name a few). The 'Cities of Love· global initiative is building the ·communities of the people who love their cities· through creative city-centric media platforms and initiatives. Benbihy is developing a network of non-profit enterprises whose purpose is to engage millions, lift spirits. foster creative contribution to city life and support sustainable urban development.
TOMAS DIEZ Director. Fab Lab, Barcelona Barcelona. Spain
Tomas Diez is a Venezuelan Urbanist specialising in digital fabrication and its implications at on future cities and society. He is the co-founder and director of Fab Lab Barcelona of the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and is a founding partner the nt Fab City Global Initiative. He is also the director of the Master in Design for Emerge Futures. tal Diez was appointed by The Guardian and Nesta as one of the top ten digi social innovators on as to watch in 2013. and was awarded by the Catalan ICT associati the entrepreneur ital of the year in 2014. His research interests relate to the use of dig fabrication tools to ange transform reality and how the use of new technologies can ch the way people consume • · · · · produce and relate with each other m c1t1es.
viii Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
2.1 BUILDING EMPOWERING MEDIA ECOSYSTEMS FOR CITIES
By EMMANUEL BENBIHY
SYNOPSIS 1. INTRODUCTION When we envision sustainable urban development, A film producer is a dreamer. Giving life tofilm we omit a key element that makes everything projects starts from an embryo of thought, a casual possible at the scale required: sustainable media exchange, a moment you wouldn’t suspect to be and content. Traditional film and media industries important. Yet, a few years later and after some are under the influence of unsound industry invisible efforts, millions of people all over the logics. Their pursuit of profit, therefore of people’s world go and watch a story unfold on a big screen. attention at any cost, has become detrimental This reality truly makes you believe in the power to human development. Instead of creating of content. And that power does not come without nurtured content, private media owners tend to responsibilities. What content we are exposed to appeal to the lowest impulses of their audience. shapes our lives (Image 1). Our future lies in cities and urban communities. “Media environments impact our We have an opportunity to create positive media development”. outlets and responsible media ecosystems under - Benbihy, 2019 the umbrella of these cities whose purpose will be to reconnect us with life, to empower us Twenty years ago, we took a unique path and as urban citizens, and to inspire us to take part decided to make the impossible movie. We were in sustainable development. Media has a duty in love with our city, Paris. And that film, Paris, Je to reconnect people, serve development, and T’aime, took six years of our lives. Many films show promote diversity and peace. The ‘Cities of Love’ the culture of a city as a backdrop to the central global initiative is applying innovative media story, but our approach was to give our city the models to the smart and sustainable development leading role and to explore it through a myriad of of cities. It has started to demonstrate the positive different film languages. impact when city authorities, businesses, creative professionals and urban citizens come together Why did so many talents fly from all over the world to celebrate urban life and act for development. to work on 20 love stories located in the 20 Using smart media to help build smart cities; ‘arrondissements’ of Paris? And this for almost and to engage people towards a better future, no money. Where did the magic come from? is fundamental today. Using social media to spread Cities have their own ways to take over our lives. good news and to help people convey pride and They fascinate us. They inspire us. We love happiness in being together are key contributions them. We hate them. We feel blessed. We feel to human prosperity. Together, we can give lost. We are never indifferent. No doubt ... it’s media a completely new role in our societies, a love affair. and we can create and showcase content that entertains, inspires people and drives sustainable Paris was the first ‘City of Love’; the first installment development. of the ‘Cities of Love’ film franchise. It was meant
Opposite image. Behind the scene © guruXOX/Shutterstock
37 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
2.1 BUILDING EMPOWERING MEDIA ECOSYSTEMS FOR CITIES
By EMMANUEL BENBIHY
SYNOPSIS 1. INTRODUCTION When we envision sustainable urban development, A film producer is a dreamer. Giving life tofilm we omit a key element that makes everything projects starts from an embryo of thought, a casual possible at the scale required: sustainable media exchange, a moment you wouldn’t suspect to be and content. Traditional film and media industries important. Yet, a few years later and after some are under the influence of unsound industry invisible efforts, millions of people all over the logics. Their pursuit of profit, therefore of people’s world go and watch a story unfold on a big screen. attention at any cost, has become detrimental This reality truly makes you believe in the power to human development. Instead of creating of content. And that power does not come without nurtured content, private media owners tend to responsibilities. What content we are exposed to appeal to the lowest impulses of their audience. shapes our lives (Image 1). Our future lies in cities and urban communities. “Media environments impact our We have an opportunity to create positive media development”. outlets and responsible media ecosystems under - Benbihy, 2019 the umbrella of these cities whose purpose will be to reconnect us with life, to empower us Twenty years ago, we took a unique path and as urban citizens, and to inspire us to take part decided to make the impossible movie. We were in sustainable development. Media has a duty in love with our city, Paris. And that film, Paris, Je to reconnect people, serve development, and T’aime, took six years of our lives. Many films show promote diversity and peace. The ‘Cities of Love’ the culture of a city as a backdrop to the central global initiative is applying innovative media story, but our approach was to give our city the models to the smart and sustainable development leading role and to explore it through a myriad of of cities. It has started to demonstrate the positive different film languages. impact when city authorities, businesses, creative professionals and urban citizens come together Why did so many talents fly from all over the world to celebrate urban life and act for development. to work on 20 love stories located in the 20 Using smart media to help build smart cities; ‘arrondissements’ of Paris? And this for almost and to engage people towards a better future, no money. Where did the magic come from? is fundamental today. Using social media to spread Cities have their own ways to take over our lives. good news and to help people convey pride and They fascinate us. They inspire us. We love happiness in being together are key contributions them. We hate them. We feel blessed. We feel to human prosperity. Together, we can give lost. We are never indifferent. No doubt ... it’s media a completely new role in our societies, a love affair. and we can create and showcase content that entertains, inspires people and drives sustainable Paris was the first ‘City of Love’; the first installment development. of the ‘Cities of Love’ film franchise. It was meant
Opposite image. Behind the scene © guruXOX/Shutterstock
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to be a statement in favour of cultural diversity, and to In the 1960s and the 1970s, with the emergence of the “Cinema turned into a service that and is quite problematic to assess objectively. The mass prove the feasibility of creating a single work of art with ‘author’, a new generation of talent led change: film extracted audiences from their daily life of content and the concentration of media power are so many people coming from so many countries. It was was a means of expression and a director could have and movies became products like any such that a debate about any change seems in vain. meant to shatter the sacred Hollywood dogma: ‘Thou a unique language — a personal filmmaking grammar. other giving people comfort”. shalt tell a story in three acts’. It was meant to build Jean-Luc Godard, Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, - Benbihy, 2019 “The media environments we are exposed unity with diversity. It was meant to prove that the wind Francis Ford Coppola, François Truffaut, Steven to affect our development. Yet, with was shifting for short formats and that an ‘omnibus film’ Spielberg, George Lucas, Satyajit Ray, Stanley Kubrick; In the 2000s, the competition to grab people’s attention the exception of a few documentaries could be commercially successful. their movies inspired and connected to our lives. was declared open. Globalisation raged and advertisers that attempt to raise awareness around led the chase in buying airtime on television networks, important developmental topics, most But it was never meant to pave the way to a unique “Films generated heated debates on as networks represented a key window for movie of the content relayed in mass media model that would help cities build their own media television and triggered conversations financing. Using fast-paced narratives, sensational and appears to follow a profit-driven logic within society”. ecosystem, independent from traditional media fear-driven content, studios established new norms for detached from any sense of responsibility industries, and answer people’s innate if not apparent - Benbihy, 2019 what was deemed ‘commercial’, backed up by digital to contribute to our development as needs for smart and reconnective content. technology and heavy promotion. They influenced other arts as well as imposed a species”. themselves as a noble form of entertainment. After - Benbihy, 2019 Today, the ‘Cities of Love’ global initiative is a non-profit With television first and the internet after, these new surfing the wave of the ‘The Glorious Thirty’3 (the post- venture with the mission to spread love ‘in’ and ‘for’ standards blossomed and influenced all forms of World War Two years from 1946-1975, often perceived 3. CONTENT & DEVELOPMENT cities. Here is how we can celebrate the cities we love, content, from negative news reports to online videos: as a golden age for self-expression and risk-taking), the The power of content has never been greater. Our promote them and generate the change we need. cleavage between art films and commercial films was existence is filled with screens, but images are established. In the 1980s and the 1990s, marketing “People’s eyeballs and ‘available brain mainly aiming at monetising our attention using 2. CINEMA & SOCIETY took over: cinema was, after all, an expensive medium time’ ultimately became commodities, narratives that are relentlessly alarming. People feel In early cinema, films did not carry any story or narrative. involving a myriad of profit-driven players, operators and storytelling as an instrument with threatened in their daily lives, constantly exposed to The first audience to experience a moving image on and stakeholders. Production budgets skyrocketed. meaning seemed lost”. a recurring echo: lack of economic opportunity and the screen in 1895 witnessed ‘Workers leaving the Experimenting or sourcing new talent became a costly - Benbihy, 2019 unemployment, safety and access to healthcare, Lumiere factory’1. diversion, and it was time to ‘scale up’ and ‘cash in’ with education costs and food security, rising inequalities Content that does not respect these norms, fictional high concepts, stories with franchise potential, and tent and government accountability, extremism and poverty, “Cinema started as a mere reflection of or not, long or short, seems to address a niche, as poles supporting the sale of tie-in merchandise. Special large-scale conflicts and migrations, climate change society and evolved towards a form of the appeal of a programme is determined by its wide effects opened new perspectives for storytelling. and artificial intelligence. communication to become a powerful ‘commercial’ attractiveness — its capacity to capture vehicle for culture, education, leisure audiences’ attention, to get them addicted and to and propaganda”. engage them into promoting the content itself. “Most people feel helpless when it - Benbihy, 2019 comes to addressing the challenges of our time, as they are constantly Today, content creators, with the ambition of reaching Looking back at the first steps of that new medium, reminded of their own perils in a mass audience, have limited choices but to appeal its urge to explore and define itself, its childish freedom a fast-changing society, with no to the lowest impulses of the audience with the hope and nonchalant errancy to ‘delight and instruct’2, we can real resolution”. to be financed and distributed by leading media be amazed by the large variety of topics covered in the - Benbihy, 2019 players. At the same time, they work hand in hand with 1920s and 1930s. The instrumentalisation of images, corporations and institutions to sustain people’s illusory The worrying changes in media and content happen for the sake of propaganda during the multiple conflicts needs of more products. The large majority of the during the same time as urbanisation. Nowhere other that undermined the 20th century, soon determined content produced abides by this logic. than in cities do audiences experience more acutely a parallel agenda and brought new perspectives. the anxiety manifested in media. In cities, we have “Films carry ideas, values, lifestyles Most meaningful content has extremely limited access never been so disconnected with our local culture, and more”. to mainstream distribution channels and theatrical rarely portrayed on mainstream media; with others, distribution, with the exception of rising online platforms despite the fact that we live among so many people; - Benbihy, 2019 such as Netflix4 or Amazon5 that have started producing with nature, as we are unbalancing the ecosystem No doubt they can impact society and public opinion, as massively. How content resonates with our lives, how it that gave us life; and more generally, disconnected they shape our knowledge of the past, our perception affects our spirits, how it influences the evolution of our from a positive perspective on our collective and of the present and our perspectives on the future. Image 1. Behind the scene © guruXOX/Shutterstock societies over time are rarely discussed or questioned individual cultures.
38 39 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
to be a statement in favour of cultural diversity, and to In the 1960s and the 1970s, with the emergence of the “Cinema turned into a service that and is quite problematic to assess objectively. The mass prove the feasibility of creating a single work of art with ‘author’, a new generation of talent led change: film extracted audiences from their daily life of content and the concentration of media power are so many people coming from so many countries. It was was a means of expression and a director could have and movies became products like any such that a debate about any change seems in vain. meant to shatter the sacred Hollywood dogma: ‘Thou a unique language — a personal filmmaking grammar. other giving people comfort”. shalt tell a story in three acts’. It was meant to build Jean-Luc Godard, Martin Scorsese, Akira Kurosawa, - Benbihy, 2019 “The media environments we are exposed unity with diversity. It was meant to prove that the wind Francis Ford Coppola, François Truffaut, Steven to affect our development. Yet, with was shifting for short formats and that an ‘omnibus film’ Spielberg, George Lucas, Satyajit Ray, Stanley Kubrick; In the 2000s, the competition to grab people’s attention the exception of a few documentaries could be commercially successful. their movies inspired and connected to our lives. was declared open. Globalisation raged and advertisers that attempt to raise awareness around led the chase in buying airtime on television networks, important developmental topics, most But it was never meant to pave the way to a unique “Films generated heated debates on as networks represented a key window for movie of the content relayed in mass media model that would help cities build their own media television and triggered conversations financing. Using fast-paced narratives, sensational and appears to follow a profit-driven logic within society”. ecosystem, independent from traditional media fear-driven content, studios established new norms for detached from any sense of responsibility industries, and answer people’s innate if not apparent - Benbihy, 2019 what was deemed ‘commercial’, backed up by digital to contribute to our development as needs for smart and reconnective content. technology and heavy promotion. They influenced other arts as well as imposed a species”. themselves as a noble form of entertainment. After - Benbihy, 2019 Today, the ‘Cities of Love’ global initiative is a non-profit With television first and the internet after, these new surfing the wave of the ‘The Glorious Thirty’3 (the post- venture with the mission to spread love ‘in’ and ‘for’ standards blossomed and influenced all forms of World War Two years from 1946-1975, often perceived 3. CONTENT & DEVELOPMENT cities. Here is how we can celebrate the cities we love, content, from negative news reports to online videos: as a golden age for self-expression and risk-taking), the The power of content has never been greater. Our promote them and generate the change we need. cleavage between art films and commercial films was existence is filled with screens, but images are established. In the 1980s and the 1990s, marketing “People’s eyeballs and ‘available brain mainly aiming at monetising our attention using 2. CINEMA & SOCIETY took over: cinema was, after all, an expensive medium time’ ultimately became commodities, narratives that are relentlessly alarming. People feel In early cinema, films did not carry any story or narrative. involving a myriad of profit-driven players, operators and storytelling as an instrument with threatened in their daily lives, constantly exposed to The first audience to experience a moving image on and stakeholders. Production budgets skyrocketed. meaning seemed lost”. a recurring echo: lack of economic opportunity and the screen in 1895 witnessed ‘Workers leaving the Experimenting or sourcing new talent became a costly - Benbihy, 2019 unemployment, safety and access to healthcare, Lumiere factory’1. diversion, and it was time to ‘scale up’ and ‘cash in’ with education costs and food security, rising inequalities Content that does not respect these norms, fictional high concepts, stories with franchise potential, and tent and government accountability, extremism and poverty, “Cinema started as a mere reflection of or not, long or short, seems to address a niche, as poles supporting the sale of tie-in merchandise. Special large-scale conflicts and migrations, climate change society and evolved towards a form of the appeal of a programme is determined by its wide effects opened new perspectives for storytelling. and artificial intelligence. communication to become a powerful ‘commercial’ attractiveness — its capacity to capture vehicle for culture, education, leisure audiences’ attention, to get them addicted and to and propaganda”. engage them into promoting the content itself. “Most people feel helpless when it - Benbihy, 2019 comes to addressing the challenges of our time, as they are constantly Today, content creators, with the ambition of reaching Looking back at the first steps of that new medium, reminded of their own perils in a mass audience, have limited choices but to appeal its urge to explore and define itself, its childish freedom a fast-changing society, with no to the lowest impulses of the audience with the hope and nonchalant errancy to ‘delight and instruct’2, we can real resolution”. to be financed and distributed by leading media be amazed by the large variety of topics covered in the - Benbihy, 2019 players. At the same time, they work hand in hand with 1920s and 1930s. The instrumentalisation of images, corporations and institutions to sustain people’s illusory The worrying changes in media and content happen for the sake of propaganda during the multiple conflicts needs of more products. The large majority of the during the same time as urbanisation. Nowhere other that undermined the 20th century, soon determined content produced abides by this logic. than in cities do audiences experience more acutely a parallel agenda and brought new perspectives. the anxiety manifested in media. In cities, we have “Films carry ideas, values, lifestyles Most meaningful content has extremely limited access never been so disconnected with our local culture, and more”. to mainstream distribution channels and theatrical rarely portrayed on mainstream media; with others, distribution, with the exception of rising online platforms despite the fact that we live among so many people; - Benbihy, 2019 such as Netflix4 or Amazon5 that have started producing with nature, as we are unbalancing the ecosystem No doubt they can impact society and public opinion, as massively. How content resonates with our lives, how it that gave us life; and more generally, disconnected they shape our knowledge of the past, our perception affects our spirits, how it influences the evolution of our from a positive perspective on our collective and of the present and our perspectives on the future. Image 1. Behind the scene © guruXOX/Shutterstock societies over time are rarely discussed or questioned individual cultures.
38 39 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
“Media in cities have the opportunity take part in an unconventional endeavour alongside to reshape our identities and urban new local talent — quite a few of whom have made a development can lead the change remarkable career since then (Image 3). we need”. The second success came from the audience: French - Benbihy, 2019 viewers were proud to see their city on the big screen Through social media, people and community and audiences around the world responded to the engagement stand out as a solution which urgently opportunity to discover or rediscover the City of Love. requires the implementation of innovative, effective Celebrating Paris on film generated a variety of positive and scalable bottom-up strategies. We live in an age human emotions as well as a sense of pride. Viewers where people have been ‘blessed’ with social media experienced a feeling of satisfaction to live or have and convey more information than any private or been there; and a desire to be associated or connected public operator. The civilisation shift we need will not to Paris. happen without the emergence of media platforms that massively and positively engage and empower Its third success was to receive the attention of urban citizens. producers all around the world inspired to follow our path, but also to be noticed by city governments 4. IN LOVE WITH PARIS and communication agencies working with them. Our attempt to define a new media model for cities Paris, Je T’aime was perceived as a new approach started in 2000 with Paris, Je T’aime, the first opus of to engage people and institutions around cities, going the ‘Cities of Love’ franchise celebrating love for cities way beyond the limits of traditional city promotion and through cinematic storytelling made by world-renowned tapping into authentic storytelling. international artists. Eschewing the singular and instead embracing 24 directors, 34 writers, 43 lead actors, 18 All along the process, we crossed paths with countless cinematographers and 10 editors, the film was selected people who loved Paris and had a direct interest or as the opening film of the 2006 Cannes International a strong wish for the film to exist. Unfortunately, they Film Festival Un Certain Regard section (Image 2). did not have the money to finance it. Ultimately, the only way the film could be produced was to fundraise This critically acclaimed and commercially successful US$13.1 million. Thus, in a strict industrial context, film was distributed in 58 countries and generated those who can give life to a movie are mainly focused US$48 million in global revenues and marked a shift on its commercial appeal and potential return on from the conventional ‘anthology’ to the ‘collective investment. feature’ film genre. Paris, Je T’aime was a statement for cultural diversity after the World Trade Organisation’s From that moment on, as innovators within the attempt to treat culture as any other commercial system, we never ceased to work hard on the design product and service in international treaties and of a context that would support the production of more agreements in the mid-1990s. Producing a movie that ‘Cities of Love’ films — an ecosystem that would not celebrates a city generates a lot of enthusiasm from a just envision the financial return of a movie but also its large spectrum of stakeholders and was a meaningful multifaceted impact on people, cities and society. labour of love. High-quality, city-driven content can provoke the desire The first success of Paris, Je T’aime had been to to belong to a place or provide a gratifying validation gather an extraordinary pool of renowned talent, from of our choice to live somewhere: such content has the the Coen Brothers (Fargo) to Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity), potential to be empowering and reconnective. Against from Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) to Natalie all odds, good, positive, relevant content can stand out Portman (Black Swan); from Elijah Wood (The Lord on its own. Building smart and happy cities is about of the Rings) to Willem Dafoe (The Last Temptation fulfilling a dream. It is about celebrating our urban of Christ), all creatively ecstatic to work in Paris and lives and making them better (Image 4). Image 2. Paris, Je T’aime poster, 2006 © Cities of Love
40 41 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
“Media in cities have the opportunity take part in an unconventional endeavour alongside to reshape our identities and urban new local talent — quite a few of whom have made a development can lead the change remarkable career since then (Image 3). we need”. The second success came from the audience: French - Benbihy, 2019 viewers were proud to see their city on the big screen Through social media, people and community and audiences around the world responded to the engagement stand out as a solution which urgently opportunity to discover or rediscover the City of Love. requires the implementation of innovative, effective Celebrating Paris on film generated a variety of positive and scalable bottom-up strategies. We live in an age human emotions as well as a sense of pride. Viewers where people have been ‘blessed’ with social media experienced a feeling of satisfaction to live or have and convey more information than any private or been there; and a desire to be associated or connected public operator. The civilisation shift we need will not to Paris. happen without the emergence of media platforms that massively and positively engage and empower Its third success was to receive the attention of urban citizens. producers all around the world inspired to follow our path, but also to be noticed by city governments 4. IN LOVE WITH PARIS and communication agencies working with them. Our attempt to define a new media model for cities Paris, Je T’aime was perceived as a new approach started in 2000 with Paris, Je T’aime, the first opus of to engage people and institutions around cities, going the ‘Cities of Love’ franchise celebrating love for cities way beyond the limits of traditional city promotion and through cinematic storytelling made by world-renowned tapping into authentic storytelling. international artists. Eschewing the singular and instead embracing 24 directors, 34 writers, 43 lead actors, 18 All along the process, we crossed paths with countless cinematographers and 10 editors, the film was selected people who loved Paris and had a direct interest or as the opening film of the 2006 Cannes International a strong wish for the film to exist. Unfortunately, they Film Festival Un Certain Regard section (Image 2). did not have the money to finance it. Ultimately, the only way the film could be produced was to fundraise This critically acclaimed and commercially successful US$13.1 million. Thus, in a strict industrial context, film was distributed in 58 countries and generated those who can give life to a movie are mainly focused US$48 million in global revenues and marked a shift on its commercial appeal and potential return on from the conventional ‘anthology’ to the ‘collective investment. feature’ film genre. Paris, Je T’aime was a statement for cultural diversity after the World Trade Organisation’s From that moment on, as innovators within the attempt to treat culture as any other commercial system, we never ceased to work hard on the design product and service in international treaties and of a context that would support the production of more agreements in the mid-1990s. Producing a movie that ‘Cities of Love’ films — an ecosystem that would not celebrates a city generates a lot of enthusiasm from a just envision the financial return of a movie but also its large spectrum of stakeholders and was a meaningful multifaceted impact on people, cities and society. labour of love. High-quality, city-driven content can provoke the desire The first success of Paris, Je T’aime had been to to belong to a place or provide a gratifying validation gather an extraordinary pool of renowned talent, from of our choice to live somewhere: such content has the the Coen Brothers (Fargo) to Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity), potential to be empowering and reconnective. Against from Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) to Natalie all odds, good, positive, relevant content can stand out Portman (Black Swan); from Elijah Wood (The Lord on its own. Building smart and happy cities is about of the Rings) to Willem Dafoe (The Last Temptation fulfilling a dream. It is about celebrating our urban of Christ), all creatively ecstatic to work in Paris and lives and making them better (Image 4). Image 2. Paris, Je T’aime poster, 2006 © Cities of Love
40 41 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
“The love people have for the city where the launch of the ‘Cities of Love’ film franchise, with our they live, whether they have chosen it or know-how and methodology consigned in an optimised lived there all their life, or the aspiration production guideline, thus opening the possibility for they have to live somewhere, is a powerful producers to reach out to us and make their own ‘City, source of energy. With the right content, I Love You’ movie. that energy can be activated in order to drive people’s engagement and inspire action”. Driven by the success of Paris, Je T’aime, we continued to attract top talents and nurture creativity from around - Benbihy, 2019 the world for our new city in focus. New York, I Love You was also the opportunity to keep supporting the emergence of new talent as we gave Bradley Cooper his first international part and produced the first short films directed by Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival 2008: its success directly led to the licensing of Rio, I Love You to an experienced pool of Brazilian producers.
Despite an attractive lineup, New York, I Love You reminded us once again that we were evolving within a more and more conservative and product-driven film industry.
“Our film was unconventional and its multiple purposes were considered Image 3. Natalie Portman in Paris, Je T’aime, 2006 © Cities of Love irrelevant as investors were focused on traditional narratives with 5. A NEW FILM FORMAT blockbuster potential”. The impact and the experience of Paris, Je T’aime - Benbihy, 2019 encouraged us to pursue our journey and improve the creative format with New York, I Love You (Image 5). In Developing new ways to finance such content was terms of production process, such a movie is distinctly pressing as it felt undeniable that an ensemble of different from a conventional film: number of talents, established stakeholders outside of the media industry, time commitment, creative steps, legal framework, thus deemed ‘unqualified’ to fund movies, were rooting crew organisation, financing opportunities, promotion, for us to succeed and to make an impact. distribution, and nature of social impact. Our objective was to simplify, rationalise and share our modus operandi with the intention to empower producers from all over the world, and to scale up the number of these films as contributors to the celebration of cities’ cultural identity.
Creating a breakthrough format in the film industry and producing a first version of it on US soil required the blessing of key operators in the Hollywood power structure (unions, guilds, talent agencies, entertainment lawyers, managers, publicists, film funds, financiers, etc.), and this after having convinced the highest ilk of talent themselves. New York, I Love You formalised Image 4. Keira Knightley in Berlin, I Love You, 2018 © Cities of Love Image 5. New York, I Love You poster, 2008 © Cities of Love
42 43 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
“The love people have for the city where the launch of the ‘Cities of Love’ film franchise, with our they live, whether they have chosen it or know-how and methodology consigned in an optimised lived there all their life, or the aspiration production guideline, thus opening the possibility for they have to live somewhere, is a powerful producers to reach out to us and make their own ‘City, source of energy. With the right content, I Love You’ movie. that energy can be activated in order to drive people’s engagement and inspire action”. Driven by the success of Paris, Je T’aime, we continued to attract top talents and nurture creativity from around - Benbihy, 2019 the world for our new city in focus. New York, I Love You was also the opportunity to keep supporting the emergence of new talent as we gave Bradley Cooper his first international part and produced the first short films directed by Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival 2008: its success directly led to the licensing of Rio, I Love You to an experienced pool of Brazilian producers.
Despite an attractive lineup, New York, I Love You reminded us once again that we were evolving within a more and more conservative and product-driven film industry.
“Our film was unconventional and its multiple purposes were considered Image 3. Natalie Portman in Paris, Je T’aime, 2006 © Cities of Love irrelevant as investors were focused on traditional narratives with 5. A NEW FILM FORMAT blockbuster potential”. The impact and the experience of Paris, Je T’aime - Benbihy, 2019 encouraged us to pursue our journey and improve the creative format with New York, I Love You (Image 5). In Developing new ways to finance such content was terms of production process, such a movie is distinctly pressing as it felt undeniable that an ensemble of different from a conventional film: number of talents, established stakeholders outside of the media industry, time commitment, creative steps, legal framework, thus deemed ‘unqualified’ to fund movies, were rooting crew organisation, financing opportunities, promotion, for us to succeed and to make an impact. distribution, and nature of social impact. Our objective was to simplify, rationalise and share our modus operandi with the intention to empower producers from all over the world, and to scale up the number of these films as contributors to the celebration of cities’ cultural identity.
Creating a breakthrough format in the film industry and producing a first version of it on US soil required the blessing of key operators in the Hollywood power structure (unions, guilds, talent agencies, entertainment lawyers, managers, publicists, film funds, financiers, etc.), and this after having convinced the highest ilk of talent themselves. New York, I Love You formalised Image 4. Keira Knightley in Berlin, I Love You, 2018 © Cities of Love Image 5. New York, I Love You poster, 2008 © Cities of Love
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6. BUILDING A MOVEMENT Social Network Users in Brazil, 2011-2017 OF LOVE FOR A CITY millions, % of internet users and % change 89.2% 86.0% 87.0% Any content creator knows that reality is always richer 82.0% 79.0% 74.0% than fiction. Celebrating a city through the combination 71.0% 88.3 97.8 104.2 110.0 of multiple original love stories was challenging, 78.3 66.2 exciting and fun. But we knew that millions of love 56.1 stories were happening in real life and waiting to be told. Stepping into the non-fiction realm by putting the 21.8%17.9% 18.4% 12.7% 10.7% 6.6% 5.5% spotlight on people’s lives seemed like an approach to build an online audience for our films way before 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 their release. It was also time to widen our definition Social Network Users % of Internet Users % Change of ‘love’, and to merge our love for cities with our love Note: internet users who use a social network site via any device at least once per month for future generations through stories that pay tribute to urban citizens dedicating their lives to others and Figure 1. Social Network Users in Brazil, 2011-2017. Source: eMarketer, April 2013 acting every day in favour of sustainable development. Little did we know that Cariocas6 were craving for free shows and entertaining events; created and such attention and content documenting their lives in a launched educational, social or green projects; positive way, at a time when Brazil was also emerging unfolded specific campaigns, sometimes introducing as one of the region’s most social-media savvy. With brands as genuine contributors to people’s lives; 199-million people by 2013, Brazil was second in launched contests; promoted sports and the city’s population only to the US, and the Brazilian government unique lifestyle; created a space for bloggers to had spearheaded a progressive push to extend Internet cover their city; partnered with digital communities or access across the country, with the result that nearly initiatives; created and sold original Rio, Eu Te Amo 100-million Brazilians would soon be online. It was merchandising (co-branded or not), using a dedicated estimated that up to 80% of the population would have store or our own mobile station travelling throughout Internet access by 2016. Plus, all signs indicated Brazil the city. was just hitting its social stride: average time spent on Facebook among Brazilians increased 208% in 2012, We orchestrated numerous activations proving our to 8.9 hours per month. By comparison, global use had ability to interact with city life, to positively disrupt declined by 2% during the same period7 (Figure 1). the relationship people had with their city by opening their eyes on others, the beauty and the good around Rio, Eu Te Amo (Rio, I Love You) was the next them; thus going against their feeling of loneliness installment of our newborn franchise after the signature by making them feel included, and treating them as of a ‘Coproduction & Licensing Agreement’ at the important and impactful actors in their city’s future Cannes International Film Festival in May 2009. But (Image 6). in Rio de Janeiro, it took a couple of years to attach an established team of producers, advertisers and marketers, as well as several attempts to launch the project before deciding to pivot our strategic approach. In early 2012, two years before the film release, we first launched an online media platform activating the Rio community around love for the city with the goal to build ‘A movement of love for the city that will become a movie’ (Image 7).
We started a transformative process of social engagement in Rio: we sponsored, supported or Image 6. University students putting messages of love on the walls of Rio, 2014 endorsed initiatives, new or already existing; co-branded © Cities of Love Image 7. Rio, Eu Te Amo poster, 2014 © Cities of Love
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6. BUILDING A MOVEMENT Social Network Users in Brazil, 2011-2017 OF LOVE FOR A CITY millions, % of internet users and % change 89.2% 86.0% 87.0% Any content creator knows that reality is always richer 82.0% 79.0% 74.0% than fiction. Celebrating a city through the combination 71.0% 88.3 97.8 104.2 110.0 of multiple original love stories was challenging, 78.3 66.2 exciting and fun. But we knew that millions of love 56.1 stories were happening in real life and waiting to be told. Stepping into the non-fiction realm by putting the 21.8%17.9% 18.4% 12.7% 10.7% 6.6% 5.5% spotlight on people’s lives seemed like an approach to build an online audience for our films way before 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 their release. It was also time to widen our definition Social Network Users % of Internet Users % Change of ‘love’, and to merge our love for cities with our love Note: internet users who use a social network site via any device at least once per month for future generations through stories that pay tribute to urban citizens dedicating their lives to others and Figure 1. Social Network Users in Brazil, 2011-2017. Source: eMarketer, April 2013 acting every day in favour of sustainable development. Little did we know that Cariocas6 were craving for free shows and entertaining events; created and such attention and content documenting their lives in a launched educational, social or green projects; positive way, at a time when Brazil was also emerging unfolded specific campaigns, sometimes introducing as one of the region’s most social-media savvy. With brands as genuine contributors to people’s lives; 199-million people by 2013, Brazil was second in launched contests; promoted sports and the city’s population only to the US, and the Brazilian government unique lifestyle; created a space for bloggers to had spearheaded a progressive push to extend Internet cover their city; partnered with digital communities or access across the country, with the result that nearly initiatives; created and sold original Rio, Eu Te Amo 100-million Brazilians would soon be online. It was merchandising (co-branded or not), using a dedicated estimated that up to 80% of the population would have store or our own mobile station travelling throughout Internet access by 2016. Plus, all signs indicated Brazil the city. was just hitting its social stride: average time spent on Facebook among Brazilians increased 208% in 2012, We orchestrated numerous activations proving our to 8.9 hours per month. By comparison, global use had ability to interact with city life, to positively disrupt declined by 2% during the same period7 (Figure 1). the relationship people had with their city by opening their eyes on others, the beauty and the good around Rio, Eu Te Amo (Rio, I Love You) was the next them; thus going against their feeling of loneliness installment of our newborn franchise after the signature by making them feel included, and treating them as of a ‘Coproduction & Licensing Agreement’ at the important and impactful actors in their city’s future Cannes International Film Festival in May 2009. But (Image 6). in Rio de Janeiro, it took a couple of years to attach an established team of producers, advertisers and marketers, as well as several attempts to launch the project before deciding to pivot our strategic approach. In early 2012, two years before the film release, we first launched an online media platform activating the Rio community around love for the city with the goal to build ‘A movement of love for the city that will become a movie’ (Image 7).
We started a transformative process of social engagement in Rio: we sponsored, supported or Image 6. University students putting messages of love on the walls of Rio, 2014 endorsed initiatives, new or already existing; co-branded © Cities of Love Image 7. Rio, Eu Te Amo poster, 2014 © Cities of Love
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Most importantly, every partnership, initiative or action Rio, I Love You community grew at an average pace of People started to contribute naturally and Such an initiative is an opportunity for brands and was filmed in an effort to portray unsung heroes, to 60% per month. But the most important breakthrough enthusiastically to the sustainability efforts of their partners to exchange short-term promotion for long-term illustrate their personalities and explore their choices, that changed the course of this production and marked city and some of the green initiatives that we pushed engagement, product-driven content for solid value- filming them in intimate settings, as genuine tributes the first step of ‘Cities of Love’ as a model was to realise started to have a life of their own. People needed to driven campaigns — thus building brand equity and to these people’s lives and choices. These touching that 74% of our active followers were aged between 13 take ownership of their city and they quickly forgot legitimacy to be part of people’s lives in their city. cinematic inserts were insightful, personal and and 24 years old. where the spark was coming from. We had activated meaningful; engaging people and creating empathy. an urban community, giving hope and faith to people By doing so in the early 2010s, we were at the forefront Natural lighting and camera movements, close-ups and Even though we were going against the norms, by providing them with a beautiful mirror of their lives of two major global trends: first, the ongoing replacement evocative details, imagery, subjective film grammar covering topics and producing content that were (Figure 2). of traditional advertising and promotional storytelling and languages, entertaining style and accessible judged undesirable and uncommercial by mainstream by the construction of a lasting and genuine relationship visual metaphors were all meant to generate emotion. media operators, young viewers were the driving force That’s when we realised that we were doing much with local consumers; second, the decay of Corporate of the Rio, Eu Te Amo movement. This came as a more than building an audience for a film. We started Social Responsibility (CSR) and the blatant need Our content was addressing that missing link in our validation that the quality, the angle and the relevance to witness the fact that empowering urban citizens for brands to be authentic and start doing ‘business urban lives, what used to make the cement of our of our content made a difference, but the secret of our through media, spreading love ‘in’ and ‘for’ the city, for good’. social fabric, this feeling of togetherness that shapes success was really to empower our viewers by making could not only revive a city’s cultural identity but could a city’s cultural identity, everything we hoped that them proud, and feeling that they were living at the right develop into one of the rare bottom-up models that our Rio, Eu Te Amo would portray. It was what we time at the right place in a city that they loved. Despite can generate positive change. There is a pressing like to call ‘Reconnective Content’ and Cariocas the proliferation of content, young people needed opportunity to link media with city life in the perspective responded massively. it more than any other segment of society. to engage people and solve problems: content can actively serve human development. Rio is populated by 6.7-million people with a Rio’s citizens’ engagement was such that we metropolitan area of 12-million people. In its first year felt the movement had a life on its own. The love 7. TOWARDS A NEW FINANCING SCHEME of activity, the Rio, Eu Te Amo movement attracted people share for their city is a powerful connector Once it reached millions of people locally, the Rio, Eu Te 1.1-million local active followers (commenting and capable of bringing together key components of Amo platform was in a position to attract sponsors and Image 8. Building gym stations in Rio, 2014 © Cities of Love sharing our content) on its Facebook page, reaching urban life — such as music, art, fashion, culture, to take them on a responsible journey. Finding the right an average of 257,000 people per day and 4-million film, literature and food — through the spectrum cinematic language to engage young people around a Our strategy triggered options and ideas that could people per month in the Rio metropolitan area, with of unsung heroes and sustainability, and always with wide variety of important topics immediately attracted activate and celebrate a city based on its specific cultural some video viewership peaks up to 6-million locals. The an inspiring, inclusive and positive outlook on life. corporate partners. A genuine and spontaneous identity, challenges and priorities. In Rio, we chose to movement naturally implies a responsibility towards support wellness and sports by building 60 new gym urban citizens when it comes to involving brands stations all along the beaches (Santander Bank) Our Approach: Online Communities searching for publicity or a sense of belonging. Primarily, (Image 8); to renew all the volleyball infrastructures, we were conscious that we could only co-operate and to cover training, contests, even selection for the WHO with brands that were truly careful about their social, upcoming Olympics (Unilever) (Image 9); to sponsor all City lovers & passionate creators; HOW economic, environmental and cultural impact. the beach sports and make them accessible to all free WHAT Partnering with institutions, donors, investors, creative industries, brands... to Inspiring content about neighbourhoods, show love “in” and “for” the city; of charge (Nextel); to share and spread love in multiple communities, craftsmanship, achievements, women, unsung heroes, people doing good WHY We worked with corporations to define a project that fashion in the city through the celebration of unsung things... Supporting multiple initiatives could become their contribution to the city. They dedicated to education, innovation, WHEN creativity and sustainable development. Making change makers visible and financed both impactful actions and a campaign to Integrating into the city’s cultural agenda financable. op-Down” strategies (festivals, fashion week, music / cultural be attached to the Rio, Eu Te Amo initiative. Through “T fairs, etc.); “Bottom-Up” strategies content, we almost acted as a local agency introducing their authentic contributions to the life of local urban Lecture Share citizens, making them belong in Rio, without ever placing Moralize Inspire or promoting any product. In times of social media, Finance Support Legislate Connect Regulate Empower “building the community of the Push Engage Cities of Love are strictly positive players in cities’ ecosystems doing good people who love a city relies on the Platforms for cities, doing good for people, and doing more with less. authenticity of the relationship”. Figure 2. Bottom-up Strategies, 2018 © Cities of Love - Benbihy, 2019 Image 9. Unilever sponsors volleyball in Rio, 2014 © Cities of Love
46 47 Chapter 2.0: CULTURE Chapter 2.0: CULTURE
Most importantly, every partnership, initiative or action Rio, I Love You community grew at an average pace of People started to contribute naturally and Such an initiative is an opportunity for brands and was filmed in an effort to portray unsung heroes, to 60% per month. But the most important breakthrough enthusiastically to the sustainability efforts of their partners to exchange short-term promotion for long-term illustrate their personalities and explore their choices, that changed the course of this production and marked city and some of the green initiatives that we pushed engagement, product-driven content for solid value- filming them in intimate settings, as genuine tributes the first step of ‘Cities of Love’ as a model was to realise started to have a life of their own. People needed to driven campaigns — thus building brand equity and to these people’s lives and choices. These touching that 74% of our active followers were aged between 13 take ownership of their city and they quickly forgot legitimacy to be part of people’s lives in their city. cinematic inserts were insightful, personal and and 24 years old. where the spark was coming from. We had activated meaningful; engaging people and creating empathy. an urban community, giving hope and faith to people By doing so in the early 2010s, we were at the forefront Natural lighting and camera movements, close-ups and Even though we were going against the norms, by providing them with a beautiful mirror of their lives of two major global trends: first, the ongoing replacement evocative details, imagery, subjective film grammar covering topics and producing content that were (Figure 2). of traditional advertising and promotional storytelling and languages, entertaining style and accessible judged undesirable and uncommercial by mainstream by the construction of a lasting and genuine relationship visual metaphors were all meant to generate emotion. media operators, young viewers were the driving force That’s when we realised that we were doing much with local consumers; second, the decay of Corporate of the Rio, Eu Te Amo movement. This came as a more than building an audience for a film. We started Social Responsibility (CSR) and the blatant need Our content was addressing that missing link in our validation that the quality, the angle and the relevance to witness the fact that empowering urban citizens for brands to be authentic and start doing ‘business urban lives, what used to make the cement of our of our content made a difference, but the secret of our through media, spreading love ‘in’ and ‘for’ the city, for good’. social fabric, this feeling of togetherness that shapes success was really to empower our viewers by making could not only revive a city’s cultural identity but could a city’s cultural identity, everything we hoped that them proud, and feeling that they were living at the right develop into one of the rare bottom-up models that our Rio, Eu Te Amo would portray. It was what we time at the right place in a city that they loved. Despite can generate positive change. There is a pressing like to call ‘Reconnective Content’ and Cariocas the proliferation of content, young people needed opportunity to link media with city life in the perspective responded massively. it more than any other segment of society. to engage people and solve problems: content can actively serve human development. Rio is populated by 6.7-million people with a Rio’s citizens’ engagement was such that we metropolitan area of 12-million people. In its first year felt the movement had a life on its own. The love 7. TOWARDS A NEW FINANCING SCHEME of activity, the Rio, Eu Te Amo movement attracted people share for their city is a powerful connector Once it reached millions of people locally, the Rio, Eu Te 1.1-million local active followers (commenting and capable of bringing together key components of Amo platform was in a position to attract sponsors and Image 8. Building gym stations in Rio, 2014 © Cities of Love sharing our content) on its Facebook page, reaching urban life — such as music, art, fashion, culture, to take them on a responsible journey. Finding the right an average of 257,000 people per day and 4-million film, literature and food — through the spectrum cinematic language to engage young people around a Our strategy triggered options and ideas that could people per month in the Rio metropolitan area, with of unsung heroes and sustainability, and always with wide variety of important topics immediately attracted activate and celebrate a city based on its specific cultural some video viewership peaks up to 6-million locals. The an inspiring, inclusive and positive outlook on life. corporate partners. A genuine and spontaneous identity, challenges and priorities. In Rio, we chose to movement naturally implies a responsibility towards support wellness and sports by building 60 new gym urban citizens when it comes to involving brands stations all along the beaches (Santander Bank) Our Approach: Online Communities searching for publicity or a sense of belonging. Primarily, (Image 8); to renew all the volleyball infrastructures, we were conscious that we could only co-operate and to cover training, contests, even selection for the WHO with brands that were truly careful about their social, upcoming Olympics (Unilever) (Image 9); to sponsor all City lovers & passionate creators; HOW economic, environmental and cultural impact. the beach sports and make them accessible to all free WHAT Partnering with institutions, donors, investors, creative industries, brands... to Inspiring content about neighbourhoods, show love “in” and “for” the city; of charge (Nextel); to share and spread love in multiple communities, craftsmanship, achievements, women, unsung heroes, people doing good WHY We worked with corporations to define a project that fashion in the city through the celebration of unsung things... Supporting multiple initiatives could become their contribution to the city. They dedicated to education, innovation, WHEN creativity and sustainable development. Making change makers visible and financed both impactful actions and a campaign to Integrating into the city’s cultural agenda financable. op-Down” strategies (festivals, fashion week, music / cultural be attached to the Rio, Eu Te Amo initiative. Through “T fairs, etc.); “Bottom-Up” strategies content, we almost acted as a local agency introducing their authentic contributions to the life of local urban Lecture Share citizens, making them belong in Rio, without ever placing Moralize Inspire or promoting any product. In times of social media, Finance Support Legislate Connect Regulate Empower “building the community of the Push Engage Cities of Love are strictly positive players in cities’ ecosystems doing good people who love a city relies on the Platforms for cities, doing good for people, and doing more with less. authenticity of the relationship”. Figure 2. Bottom-up Strategies, 2018 © Cities of Love - Benbihy, 2019 Image 9. Unilever sponsors volleyball in Rio, 2014 © Cities of Love
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Figure 3. The Rio Case, 2014 © Cities of Love Figure 4. Media for Sustainability, 2018 © Cities of Love heroes and role models, to disseminate exclusive gifts without having to reimburse any investor or loan. Each supporting productions that are positively relevant with all around town (Rio Municipal Government); to offer movie ticket or foreign territory that we sold became modern urban lives; to co-operate with brands and tons of free flowers to people as long as they show profit from day one as backend revenues no longer launch campaigns that generate sufficient revenues to gestures of affection, to create the official scent of depended on the success of the film since no money finance additional actions and content. All this in order Rio or help migrant workers write letters to their loved was owed to any third-party financier. All producers and to empower and engage citizens for them to embrace ones (Boticario); to showcase local food culture and talent shared the first position in the revenue chain. sustainability with a smile on their faces (Figure 4). create merchandising (Kirin); and to design a city- A dream scenario for any industry player (Figure 3). themed special edition car addressing local needs and From planting rare trees or cleaning the city in Delhi lifestyle (Fiat). 8. STRUCTURING CITY-DRIVEN MEDIA (India) (Image 10) to celebrating unsung heroes ECOSYSTEMS in Malmö (Sweden), from helping migrant workers The strategy, coupled with a favourable tax environment When Rio, Eu Te Amo was released in 2014, we were write love letters in Rio (Brazil) to being introduced in the state of Rio incentivising corporations to invest in a position to define the concept of a self-sustaining, to Rotterdam (Netherlands) by local artists, from Image 11. Shanghai, I Love You Young Filmmakers Awards Ceremony, 2015 © Cities of Love in films, created the right context for the Rio, Eu Te replicable and scalable online platform for future ‘Cities celebrating night-time food experiences in Kuala Amo platform to fundraise more than US$8 million of Love’ initiatives. We were also coming up with a way Lumpur (Malaysia) to supporting the emergence of a it at all times. Only foundations or social enterprises in its first year of activity. Each participating sponsor to re-create the Rio context in other cities and countries. new generation of filmmakers in Shanghai (China) would put the interest of the city and its citizens ahead was channelling part of its investment towards the Our goal is to set up media ecosystems under cities (Image 11), the ‘Cities of Love’ global initiative has been of profit. Also, providing tax deductions would optimise movement and another part towards the film in order experimenting all along and activating cities around competitiveness with communication agencies and to be associated to its global release. This was the the world. allow such ecosystems to tap into corporations’ first element of a model for doing good for cities CSR budgets (Figure 5). and its people and opening new perspectives for There’s a chorus of participants, from young people to content producers. brands, from creative communities to local authorities that are eager to applaud and support the production “We have reversed the logic behind The Rio, Eu Te Amo movie was financed exclusively of content away from mainstream norms. Yet, such a mainstream content creation and with ‘soft-money’, mainly coming from an ensemble of value-driven approach cannot be implemented by profit- created a city-driven media platform domestic and global brands, but also with subsidies and driven organisations, as they would tend to monetise that can finance and produce any tax benefits from the city and the state of Rio. Thus, we urban citizens’ attention without concern. A value-based content as long as it is relevant to were in a position to market a star-studded international media ecosystem needs strong governance, an entity our lives and is solution-oriented”. feature-film monetising the notoriety of our production Image 10. Delhi Seed Bank Project, 2018 © Cities of Love which acts as a guardian of its purpose and protects - Benbihy, 2019
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Figure 3. The Rio Case, 2014 © Cities of Love Figure 4. Media for Sustainability, 2018 © Cities of Love heroes and role models, to disseminate exclusive gifts without having to reimburse any investor or loan. Each supporting productions that are positively relevant with all around town (Rio Municipal Government); to offer movie ticket or foreign territory that we sold became modern urban lives; to co-operate with brands and tons of free flowers to people as long as they show profit from day one as backend revenues no longer launch campaigns that generate sufficient revenues to gestures of affection, to create the official scent of depended on the success of the film since no money finance additional actions and content. All this in order Rio or help migrant workers write letters to their loved was owed to any third-party financier. All producers and to empower and engage citizens for them to embrace ones (Boticario); to showcase local food culture and talent shared the first position in the revenue chain. sustainability with a smile on their faces (Figure 4). create merchandising (Kirin); and to design a city- A dream scenario for any industry player (Figure 3). themed special edition car addressing local needs and From planting rare trees or cleaning the city in Delhi lifestyle (Fiat). 8. STRUCTURING CITY-DRIVEN MEDIA (India) (Image 10) to celebrating unsung heroes ECOSYSTEMS in Malmö (Sweden), from helping migrant workers The strategy, coupled with a favourable tax environment When Rio, Eu Te Amo was released in 2014, we were write love letters in Rio (Brazil) to being introduced in the state of Rio incentivising corporations to invest in a position to define the concept of a self-sustaining, to Rotterdam (Netherlands) by local artists, from Image 11. Shanghai, I Love You Young Filmmakers Awards Ceremony, 2015 © Cities of Love in films, created the right context for the Rio, Eu Te replicable and scalable online platform for future ‘Cities celebrating night-time food experiences in Kuala Amo platform to fundraise more than US$8 million of Love’ initiatives. We were also coming up with a way Lumpur (Malaysia) to supporting the emergence of a it at all times. Only foundations or social enterprises in its first year of activity. Each participating sponsor to re-create the Rio context in other cities and countries. new generation of filmmakers in Shanghai (China) would put the interest of the city and its citizens ahead was channelling part of its investment towards the Our goal is to set up media ecosystems under cities (Image 11), the ‘Cities of Love’ global initiative has been of profit. Also, providing tax deductions would optimise movement and another part towards the film in order experimenting all along and activating cities around competitiveness with communication agencies and to be associated to its global release. This was the the world. allow such ecosystems to tap into corporations’ first element of a model for doing good for cities CSR budgets (Figure 5). and its people and opening new perspectives for There’s a chorus of participants, from young people to content producers. brands, from creative communities to local authorities that are eager to applaud and support the production “We have reversed the logic behind The Rio, Eu Te Amo movie was financed exclusively of content away from mainstream norms. Yet, such a mainstream content creation and with ‘soft-money’, mainly coming from an ensemble of value-driven approach cannot be implemented by profit- created a city-driven media platform domestic and global brands, but also with subsidies and driven organisations, as they would tend to monetise that can finance and produce any tax benefits from the city and the state of Rio. Thus, we urban citizens’ attention without concern. A value-based content as long as it is relevant to were in a position to market a star-studded international media ecosystem needs strong governance, an entity our lives and is solution-oriented”. feature-film monetising the notoriety of our production Image 10. Delhi Seed Bank Project, 2018 © Cities of Love which acts as a guardian of its purpose and protects - Benbihy, 2019
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NOTES 1French short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Louis Lumière. Released on 22 March 1895 in France and on 20 February 1896 in the United Kingdom. 46 seconds, 35mm format, 800 frames 2Aristotle preferred tragedy as an imitation of man ‘in action’ to epic: he states that man can improve himself through representation as human beings are naturally delighted with representation in general. In his Poetics, which was written in 330 B.C. as Vincent B. Leitch has noted, Aristotle explains how representation in the art of poetry can be both pleasing and instructive at the same time. In his ‘Ars Poetica’, or ‘The Art of Poetry’, a poem written in 19 B.C., Horace clearly defines the ‘delight and instruct’ rule whereas with William Wordsworth, ‘the instruction’ part of the rule has vanished. ‘Poetics’ (pp90- 117), ‘Ars Poetica’ (pp124-135) and ‘Preface to Lyrical Ballads, with Pastoral and Other Poems (1802)’ (pp648- 668), in The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, gen. ed. Vincent B. Leitch, W.W. Norton and Company Inc., New York: 2001 3 Figure 5. Structuring Ecosystems, 2018 © Cities of Love Three decades of economic prosperity combined high productivity with high average wages, high consumption, Furthermore, each city has its own specific challenges Cities need driven operators, content and media outlets and a highly developed system of social benefits. Les and priorities (i.e. strengthening social harmony, that create, tell and showcase a new type of inspiring, Trente Glorieuses, ou la révolution invisible de 1946 à changing food habits, regenerating green spaces, entertaining and reconnective stories. Cities need 1975 (‘The Glorious Thirty, or the Invisible Revolution etc.), and a ‘Cities of Love’ ecosystem can develop to step into the media world, take ownership of their from 1946 to 1975’), gen. ed. Jean Fourastié, Fayard, and nurture sub-ecosystems dedicated to multiple screens and start engaging their citizens with compelling Paris, 1979 sustainable solutions by gathering all the stakeholders narratives to empower them. 4Netflix has historically relied on the high-yield bond (institutions, NGOs, brands, etc.) and build a mass market to finance its growth. Its debt load, including audience for such solutions. Using smart media to help build smart cities, to engage operating lease liabilities, has steadily grown to around people towards a better future, is fundamental today. $13.5 billion since first tapping the market in 2009, Such a sub-ecosystem will then be in a position to Using social media to spread good news and to help according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Netflix generate its own dedicated content (videos, series, people convey pride and happiness to others are key Borrowing $2 Billion as War for Content Heats Up by movies) and by de facto contribute to raising awareness contributions to human prosperity. Molly Smith and Elizabeth Rembert, 21 October 2019 and making change. Thanks to social media and the 5Amazon is a major media player; yet, its core activity implementation of innovative film models, we have “Together, we can give media a is e-commerce, thus pushing for consumerism in the opportunities to redefine commercial content norms in completely new role in our cities first place and generating tons of waste like its Chinese today’s urban world and celebrate culture in the cities and communities”. counterpart, Alibaba that we love. - Benbihy, 2019 6Inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 7‘2013 Brazil Digital Future in Focus’ Report in Comscore, 9. CONCLUSION We can gather an ensemble of stakeholders around Inc., Sao Paulo, Brazil, 7 March 2013 Building media ecosystems serving urban development the development of cities, and embark them on a opens new paths for bottom-up content strategies. positive and responsible journey that will shatter Such ecosystems can support the emergence of more the norms established by traditional film and media producers eager to create videos, documentaries industries. We have an unprecedented and unparalleled and feature films that reconnect us positively with our opportunity to lead world innovation, reshape our urban humanity, our planet and our future. identities and open new paths for human development.
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NOTES 1French short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Louis Lumière. Released on 22 March 1895 in France and on 20 February 1896 in the United Kingdom. 46 seconds, 35mm format, 800 frames 2Aristotle preferred tragedy as an imitation of man ‘in action’ to epic: he states that man can improve himself through representation as human beings are naturally delighted with representation in general. In his Poetics, which was written in 330 B.C. as Vincent B. Leitch has noted, Aristotle explains how representation in the art of poetry can be both pleasing and instructive at the same time. In his ‘Ars Poetica’, or ‘The Art of Poetry’, a poem written in 19 B.C., Horace clearly defines the ‘delight and instruct’ rule whereas with William Wordsworth, ‘the instruction’ part of the rule has vanished. ‘Poetics’ (pp90- 117), ‘Ars Poetica’ (pp124-135) and ‘Preface to Lyrical Ballads, with Pastoral and Other Poems (1802)’ (pp648- 668), in The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, gen. ed. Vincent B. Leitch, W.W. Norton and Company Inc., New York: 2001 3 Figure 5. Structuring Ecosystems, 2018 © Cities of Love Three decades of economic prosperity combined high productivity with high average wages, high consumption, Furthermore, each city has its own specific challenges Cities need driven operators, content and media outlets and a highly developed system of social benefits. Les and priorities (i.e. strengthening social harmony, that create, tell and showcase a new type of inspiring, Trente Glorieuses, ou la révolution invisible de 1946 à changing food habits, regenerating green spaces, entertaining and reconnective stories. Cities need 1975 (‘The Glorious Thirty, or the Invisible Revolution etc.), and a ‘Cities of Love’ ecosystem can develop to step into the media world, take ownership of their from 1946 to 1975’), gen. ed. Jean Fourastié, Fayard, and nurture sub-ecosystems dedicated to multiple screens and start engaging their citizens with compelling Paris, 1979 sustainable solutions by gathering all the stakeholders narratives to empower them. 4Netflix has historically relied on the high-yield bond (institutions, NGOs, brands, etc.) and build a mass market to finance its growth. Its debt load, including audience for such solutions. Using smart media to help build smart cities, to engage operating lease liabilities, has steadily grown to around people towards a better future, is fundamental today. $13.5 billion since first tapping the market in 2009, Such a sub-ecosystem will then be in a position to Using social media to spread good news and to help according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Netflix generate its own dedicated content (videos, series, people convey pride and happiness to others are key Borrowing $2 Billion as War for Content Heats Up by movies) and by de facto contribute to raising awareness contributions to human prosperity. Molly Smith and Elizabeth Rembert, 21 October 2019 and making change. Thanks to social media and the 5Amazon is a major media player; yet, its core activity implementation of innovative film models, we have “Together, we can give media a is e-commerce, thus pushing for consumerism in the opportunities to redefine commercial content norms in completely new role in our cities first place and generating tons of waste like its Chinese today’s urban world and celebrate culture in the cities and communities”. counterpart, Alibaba that we love. - Benbihy, 2019 6Inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) 7‘2013 Brazil Digital Future in Focus’ Report in Comscore, 9. CONCLUSION We can gather an ensemble of stakeholders around Inc., Sao Paulo, Brazil, 7 March 2013 Building media ecosystems serving urban development the development of cities, and embark them on a opens new paths for bottom-up content strategies. positive and responsible journey that will shatter Such ecosystems can support the emergence of more the norms established by traditional film and media producers eager to create videos, documentaries industries. We have an unprecedented and unparalleled and feature films that reconnect us positively with our opportunity to lead world innovation, reshape our urban humanity, our planet and our future. identities and open new paths for human development.
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