The World of Culture launches an appeal to review the recent restrictive anti-COVID19 measures
Entertainment organizations and artists in the front line for the Minister Franceschini and the President Conte to review the recent measures that foresee from today until 24 November the closure of theaters and cinemas. In this regard, an open letter was sent with the reasons for the reopening of the rooms. In fact, in the aftermath of the Rome Film Fest, the new restrictions that heavily affect a sector that is struggling to get up from the spring lockdown seem incomprehensible. In fact, both during the Rome Festival and even before the Venice Film Festival, during which strict security protocols were adopted regarding admission (temperature less than 37.5 °),for spacing and anti-assembly (use at 30% of the capacity of the rooms and with a limit of 200 audience), together with the use of masks and the sanitization of the premises before and after each show no cases of infections have occurred, demonstrating that it is possible to carry out these events in complete safety. As well as these measures have been adopted in cinemas and theaters which have reopened since May and which have given excellent results in combating COVID19. (null contagions).
Here is the full text:
OPEN LETTER TO MINISTER DARIO FRANCESCHINI AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, GIUSEPPE CONTE
Mr. Minister,
the decision of the President of the Council of Ministers, Giuseppe Conte and the government to proceed until the end of November until the cinema closes, theaters and concert halls leaves us astonished, surprised and strongly critical while knowing his commitment to culture and entertainment workers.
In the current health situation, of which we are well aware as citizens and operators of our sector, we understand that health is a primary good to be protected at all costs. However, we know just as well that culture is an equally primary asset and that eliminating a fundamental part of it today, such as that of entertainment, is an action in our opinion devoid of logic and usefulness.
In fact, it is proven that among socialization activities, thanks to the strict health protocols that have governed screenings and shows since last May, Cinemas and theaters are the safest places, where there have been no cases of contagion. This is evidenced by the data recently provided by Agis, the hundreds of screenings that took place safely at the Venice Film Festival and more, just these days, which coincided with a worrying growth of new infections, at the Rome Film Fest where no outbreaks were recorded.
In our opinion, even the closure will be counterproductive because the elimination of the only safe social safeguards, alternatives to the street nightlife and the conviviality of catering establishments, it would lead to the disorientation of that part of the population that is best reacting to the pandemic crisis.
All this proves that, thanks to the temperature control at the entrance, the use of the mask, the drastic reduction in capacity which guarantees the necessary spacing, the immobility of the spectators during screenings and shows, the large volumes of the premises, sanitation at the end of each show, i cinema, and theaters, concert halls are today the safest and most protected places in social life.
Therefore the choice of a new closure of the cinemas appears to our eyes, not only of operators in the sector, but of spectators and citizens, unjustified. At a time when you are working towards a strenuous recovery, forcing cinemas to stop operating again seriously risks compromising the future of an entire sector. We ask for a comparison open to all categories to find the most suitable ways to safeguard the cultural life of us citizens and a sector otherwise close to extinction.
100 Authors
AFIC (Association Festival of Italian Cinema)
ANAC (National Association of Film Authors)
Casa del Cinema in Rome
FICE (Italian Essay Cinema Federation)
SNGCI (Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists)
SNCCI (National Union of Italian Film Critics)
Gianni Amelio
Pupi Avati
Marco Bellocchio
Francesco Bruni
Massimiliano Bruno
Nanni Moretti
Giuliano Montaldo
Paolo Taviani
Enrico Vanzina
Paolo Virzì