At the beginning of my career as a filmmaker my concern was primarily to make the film. What was to happen after the film was ready was less important. Now I became more concerned about the life of the film after it is finished.

I am worried primarily because I see around me how the world of cinema is changing – it has less and less to do with the world of cinema we discovered as children in our little neighborhood cinemas. Individual theaters disappeared, films moved on internet and going to cinema was replaced by downloading and home-watching. Maybe some of this is unavoidable and part of the technological progress.

What concerns me the most is the ruling of “efficiency” in cinema. Mainstream films tend not only to occupy a great many number of screens but if possible, all the screens. The managers of the big distribution chains decide more and more in terms of efficiency – a film bringing more spectators, more revenues, is better and always to be preferred to a film addressing to the few.

I have nothing against cinema as entertainment as long as we understand the need for diversity. There should be films for all kind of spectators. What is entertaining for one is senseless for the other and vice-versa. Cinema was invented not only to make us feel better Friday after work but also to help us see the truth, understand ourselves and to perceive the reality around us. Nevertheless, diversity is not granted, it is something to fight for. We have to defend it – unless we all make a sustained effort to keep it alive, it could perish. Personal cinema, auteur cinema, might soon have to be declared endangered species. Europa Distribution reunites a lot of the European distributors that still believe in diversity, in auteur films and in risk-taking. I hope they will preserve this course of action in the future and they will keep encouraging the existence of independent cinema.

We, film people, need to support them and I am glad and proud to be amongst the filmmakers that will be close to the cause of independent cinema. They are our pledge that the films we make will have the life we wish for. I wish Europa Distribution the same commitment in the years to come and a long life.

Sincerely, Cristian Mungiu President of Honour