Kulturminister Åse Kleveland

Opening speech - seminar
Europe - cultural diversity and audiovisual challenges,

Oslo 9. June 1995

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends of European culture and European film

To a nation that wishes to safeguard its cultural identity, it is vital that cultural expressions which in a broad sense reflect this culture, reach as great a public as possible. Film reaches the public both through cinema screening, through the rental of videos, and not least through television screening. This makes film one of the key conveyors of culture in our time, nationally and internationally. To Norway, it is vital to ensure that films which reflect Norwegian cultural expressions are provided with a context that reinforces its competitive abilities.

In my opinion this point of departure is one which applies to Norway as a nation as much as it applies to Europe as a region. Furthermore, it applies especially to films which target children and youth. As a group, children and youth are highly active media consumers and are thus more subject to being affected by the mass media. The media's influence on our moral development affect cultural patterns, patterns of sex roles and children and youths' attitudes to society in general. It is therefore especially important that children and youth are provided with films with roots in our own culture, and that the knowledge of film becomes more widespread, for instance through the reinforcement of media education.

This is the point of departure of the Norwegian government's film policy. We are therefore proud and pleased that the French Embassy took the initiative in arranging this seminar here in Oslo, in conjunction with the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the embassies of the member states of the European Union. We are a small country - and the film sector is thus all the more important to us. It is therefore with great pleasure that I have registered that both our country and France share the same position towards the audiovisual sector - especially with respect to the fact that this sector enjoys a key position in our cultural policies and, furthermore, that it is regarded as an integral part of the cultural policy. We both promote the production and distribution of film. In Norway, we are proud of our unique cinema-system, in which the management of cinemas is a component of municipal cultural policy. Statistics show that this system has provided the Norwegian public with a broader supply of films - both from Europe and other continents - than the majority of European countries.

We are indebted to France for their front line position with respect to emphasising, strengthening and developing European culture, and particularly the film sector in this context, both as to the cinema and to television. Although Norway is not a member of the European Union - or perhaps because we are in this position - it is vital for us to maintain close contacts and cooperation with France and the European Union in the future. For the battle is by far over.

We acknowledge the fact that the Norwegian - as well as the European - audiovisual production are facing considerable challenges. How should our film productions reach a larger audience - and why are we not succeeding to the degree that we would like?

Have we allowed ourselves to be overly exclusive? Have we to a large extent overlooked the fact that film is a mass medium?

I believe that these questions to a certain extent must be answered by a "yes". Although it is important to safeguard film as a form of art - it is a matter of great consequence not merely to do that - we must also make place for films which provide entertainment. We must safeguard a broader artistic profile in film production, we must safeguard the national film-idiom - and we must promote film as an element in our defence of our own languages and cultures and thus create a necessary counterweight to the dominant Anglo-American influences. In my opinion, it is only by taking up the challenge that we may win, and not by relying on prohibition and restrictions.

As far as Norway is concerned, we have tried to take up the challenge. During the three last years we have reviewed and created a new basis for our cultural and media policies, including our film policy. We have emphasised the key position that public broadcasting, particularly television, plays in this context, and supplied public service broadcasting with frames which enable the establishment of a stable economic fundament. We have increased film production funding.

We have established clear-cut requirements for support to film production, and we have reorganised our film institutions in order to make them more effective. We have also established a foundation which is to promote cooperation between the film and television business. We have increased cooperation among the Nordic countries, and not least increased our participation at the international level. In this context I would like to mention that we are especially pleased with Eurimage. We are furthermore observing with anticipation the deliberations of the European Union concerning the future organisation of the Media-programme, and we expect to participate in the continuation of Media-95.

However, the challenges remain many. Our objectives remain fixed - but the measures necessary to reach these goals must be reviewed continuously.

I am positive that this seminar will constitute a considerable contribution to the ensuing discussions. It has been well timed with respect to the ongoing debate in our country as well as those of the European institutions, prior to the celebration of the film centenary.

I would like to thank the French Embassy, and in particular cultural attaché Francois Zumbiehl, for their initiative and the work they have laid down in preparing this seminar.

I would also like to thank the participating embassies for their support. Hopefully, this seminar will become the first in a series. European diversity is our strength, as are our traditions for cooperation. These are advantages we should emphasise in our progress towards the 150th anniversary of film.