Watch: French culture ministers appear in self-deprecating cinema ad

The current French culture minister Rima Abdul Malak and the former culture minister Jack Lang have appeared in a short, humorous advert that says “we all have a good reason to go to the cinema”.

The advert is part of a new campaign designed to promote cinema-going, for “emotions on a big scale (les emotions en grand)”, and a series of ‘reasons’ why people in France should head for the big screen.

The clip shows Ms Malak being ‘harassed’ via text and letter by her predecessor Mr Lang, as she sits at her culture ministry desk. She is then pictured going to the cinema to escape, with the advert slogan reading: “To escape Jack Lang’s messages.”

She then sits down in the cinema, ready to watch the film, only to see Mr Lang come and sit in the seat next to her. He says: “It’s so great that you’re here”, and she looks surprised. They then smile and watch the film together.

The advert finishes with the phrase: “We all have a good reason to go to the cinema.”

The advert is a play on a similar campaign video, which offers other reasons, including:

• For emotions on a big scale

• To keep the kids busy

• To see all the films and then talk about them

• To ‘hook up’ (romantically)

• To laugh and cry in the dark

It comes as the cinema industry is suffering following the Covid pandemic, during which time cinemas were often closed. Ms Malak posted the videos to her Twitter account along with the message: “Together, let’s support our cinemas, and experience the cinema on the big screen!”.

A statement from the culture minister’s office to AFP said: "Rima Abdul Malak was keen to support the campaign by sharing her good reason for going to the cinema in a video, with a humorous wink and with the self-deprecating help of Jack Lang.”

Jack Lang was culture minister of France from 1981 to 1986, and again from 1988 to 1993 (he was also minister for national education from 1992 to 1993, and 2000 to 2002. He is a well-recognised figure in France and is particularly known for having set up the popular Fête de la Musique all-day music festival in 1982.

Ms Malak became minister of culture in May this year, and served as an advisor on cultural affairs to President Macron from 2019 to 2022. Before that, she was cultural advisor to then-Paris mayor, Bertrand Delano, from 2012 to 2014.

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