May 14, 2024
An organisation representing freelance festival workers is calling for a strike during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. Called Sous les écrans la dèche (Broke Behind the Screens), the org is protesting against a looming labor reform that will see their unemployment indemnities slashed by more than half. By: K Dass.
Cannes - The Sous les écrans la dèche
collective, representing French film festival workers, has called for a general
strike involving all employees of the Cannes Film Festival and its sidebars.
These workers are concerned about the precarious nature of their employment, as
many of them operate on short-term freelance contracts without unemployment
insurance coverage.
The upcoming opening of the Cannes festival is leaving
them with a bitter taste, as their concerns have not been met with concrete
measures. The strike could potentially disrupt the festival, which kicks off on
May 14 and runs through May 25, featuring premieres of highly anticipated films
like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Megalopolis, and Horizon: An American
Saga — Chapter 11.
Expect to see more Sous les écrans pins on the red
carpet this year, as the movement gains support within the French industry.
The striking workers at the Cannes Film Festival are
demanding better employment conditions. Specifically, they are concerned about
the precarious nature of their work, as many operate on short-term freelance
contracts without unemployment insurance coverage. Their call for a general
strike aims to draw attention to these issues and push for concrete measures to
improve their situation.
As of now, there have been no specific reports about
negotiations between the striking workers and festival organizers. The workers’
call for a general strike aims to draw attention to their employment
conditions, but whether formal negotiations are underway remains unclear.