The Post-Neoliberal Colombian Film Policy
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ARTÍCULOS The Post-Neoliberal Colombian Film Policy Liliana Castañeda Sociocultural Programs Assistant University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada The implementation and consolidation The economic approach is framed of the Colombian feature-film policy model within Media Economics theories on the after 1997 follows the general trend of sectoral particular field of cultural industries. Authors support policies in the rest of Latin America such as Colin Hoskins, Stuart McFayden and after the 1990s. Since the first generation of Adam Finn in North America and Octavio neoliberal reforms in the 1980s-1990s did not Getino and Germán Rey in Latin America achieve a competitive market for national have conducted extensive research on cultural movies, rather it accentuated historical market markets. Their contribution to the field is bottlenecks, policymakers and artists sought remarkable in identifying economic and to justify a new type of intervention that seeks financial performance variables in the film to promote the feature film industry in ways markets (size of the market, human capital, that build and maintain efficiency, market exhibition and distribution conditions, competition, consensus and responsiveness role of private agents, business strategies, to consumers (Hira 55). Rather than opposing technologies) in order to create conditions the neoliberal principles of deregulation and of sustainability. This argument ties with liberalization adopted a decade earlier, the the second major contribution of Media post-neoliberal framework accommodates Economics: a better understanding of the these neoliberal principles within the policy rationale behind support policies. First, discourse of cultural diversity defense and one of the main reasons to implement film protectionist practices such as subsidies and policies is its potentially positive impact on national content requirement. Amidst the the economy. Inspired by cluster studies of uneasy negotiation of these two contradictory other industries, academics and policymakers ideological sources, the feature film sector in Latin America have recommended similar has enjoyed a boom in terms of international pathways in “the belief that cultural industries recognition and number of movie releases in are a major vehicle of economic development the last decade. and growth” (Karlsson, Johansson & Stough In order to evaluate this boom 2). Second, governments should promote the promoted by official sources and media, film industry because films are public or merit the present research mainly focuses on the goods that carry social benefits. These benefits economic performance of the feature film or externalities are redistributed to the entire policies at the national level. This specific scope society through official policies that otherwise excludes important elements and dimensions would not occur (Cwi 60). Content presented of the general film policy model in Colombia. in films disseminates social meaning and For example, the study does not cover the has a symbolic potential to represent the official support to documentaries and shorts or complexity of identities and the context where regional/ local film policies because each one those identities interact, promoting a sense of of these categories would deserve a detailed belonging or citizenship. discussion and further research. 28 THE POST-NEOLIBERAL COLOMBIAN FILM POLICY The collection of secondary data Colombian version of the Import Substitution for this study included online sources and Industrialization (ISI) between the 1970s and available books and journals in Canada, 1980s and the hiatus of the neoliberal period but a general problem was the difficulty in in the 1990s. The initiative found a favorable obtaining reliable statistical and historical regional environment after Argentina, Mexico information about the Colombian film and Brazil led the installment of similar market.1 The field research, conducted in policies which, according to Mora, inspired the Colombia in 2006, included further collection Colombian framework (“Progresos”). These of statistical data and structured interviews initiatives coupled with positive outcomes and with Film Division officials and independent built expectations of the film sector’s potential critics, producers, distributors and researchers success. Argentina, for example, initiated an in order to evaluate the action of government acclaimed artistic movement called The New institutions in the sector between 1998 and Argentinean Cinema that reports an increase 2006. Even though there was no access to in their annual production from an average of private companies’ data regarding financial 25 in the 1990s to 58 in 2004 (Getino, Mercosur investments in films, some of the interviewees 1-13; Katz 47). Brazil, for its part, went from gave valuable information on some of the 0 films in 1990 under the neoliberal program general trends of private agents. to 46 in 2004 (Getino, Mercosur 20-30), going This study seeks to analyze whether from a total investment of US $1,000,000 in the the initial success of the Colombian model 1990s to US $2,000,000 a decade later (Getino, of sectoral promotion supports the idea of a Television 53; Hart 13, 288). sustainable sector that can co-exist with more By contrast, the Colombian internal dominant clusters such as Hollywood in what atmosphere could not be more adverse to is known as the construction of a polycentric sectoral policies during the 1990s. The most landscape of film production (Hesmondhalgh visible obstacle for the post-neoliberal model 228-35). Beyond the official triumphalism was the extensive skepticism regarding its that highlights the increase in number of success due to the previous negative experience productions, film policies in Colombia still during the ISI period. The bankruptcy of face serious constraints in terms of exhibition, the Compañía de Fomento Cinematográfico content, consumption and distribution that (“Colombian Cinematographic Development question its potential for sustainability. To Company”) or FOCINE and audiences’ observe this ambivalent success, the first part resistance to consume local movies have of the article will outline the implementation historically overshadowed positive outcomes and consolidation of the policy model, paying such as human capital training and the special attention to the oppositional discourse portrayal of national costumes and values in of economic efficiency and cultural diversity films. Articles in periodical publications such to appeal to different stakeholders. The as Semana identify fears of corruption, abuse of following section will explore the main market power, excessive centralization and deviation bottlenecks and policy tools that intend to of funds from priority areas as the main solve them, and the last part will conclude the arguments for resisting new official incentives results and challenges of the Colombian film (“Historia”). Exhibitors, in particular, resented policy model. any new attempt to declare more levies on the ticket or screen national films with low 1. The Rise of the Post-Neoliberal audience appeal and poor quality after their legal confrontation with the government Model during the 1980s (“Taquilla”). Parallel to this negative environment, there were calls to Post-neoliberal film policies are the revive the promotion of national identity and second attempt to promote the sector after the to restore cultural sectors, including films, after ARTÍCULOS 29 Ministry of Ministry of Customs & Culture Revenue Finance Regional Film Agency Council Rep. (DIAN) Producers Film Division (Designs & implements Distributors Film Policies) National Council of Film Arts & Culture Exhibitors (CNACC) Determines contest Tax Breaks categories Directors Other incentives Jury (Assignation of Awards) Subsidies National Culture Awards (Scholarships & Research) Film Development Fund (FDC) Producers Subsidies Public & Private Audits Distributors (International Films) Administered by Proimágenes (Technical Secretary— Exhibitors Film Commission) (International Films) Figure 1: Institutional Structure of the Colombian Film Model Source: Author’s analysis based on the Culture and Film Laws. the official negligence during the neoliberal as guarantor of its citizens’ access to culture phase in the 1990s. and facilitator of the industrial process and To satisfy both sectors policymakers preservation of national films. Additionally, used three strategies: the passage of cohesive it introduced the concept of cinema as an legislation that modified the definition of expression of national identity, collective cinema and reorganized the sector, the display memory and cultural imagery (article 40), of lobby campaigns and compensation replacing the former consideration of cinema tools that strived for consensus and the as “a public entertainment event” (decrees and establishment of a new system that could laws between 1918 and 1996).2 The Film Law measure the economic returns and trends of also reinforced the government’s commitment the film market. to create favorable conditions for the local The principles of economic efficiency industry (article 4) while identifying the and cultural diversity within the official value of films as a contribution to the national discourse were essential to create a positive patrimony and collective identity (article 1). A transition towards the new legislation. Two complementary function of the Film Law was pillars of the film model, Ley general de to consolidate all past legislation regarding cultura (“Culture Law