France and South Korea have committed €1 billion over five years to a joint partnership supporting film, television, and screen industries, according to an announcement made at the Lumière Summit in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung unveiled the funding initiative to counter the dominance of global platforms and protect cultural sovereignty against technological upheaval, including artificial intelligence.
The Lumière Declaration and the Push for Cultural Sovereignty
The summit concluded with the signing of the Lumière Declaration, which outlines 15 core principles regarding the future of screen industries. According to the text of the declaration, moving images represent a common good that serves as a vehicle for emotion, memory, knowledge, and collective transformation. The document states that “We refuse to reduce images to the attention they capture” in the modern attention economy.
President Macron stated at the event that technology must not become a tool that replaces human creators. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung added that artificial intelligence should be developed in a more responsible and human-centred way. Around 200 senior executives, policymakers, and creatives attended the one-day gathering, which featured discussions on global co-production funding and enhanced financial incentives such as film production tax rebates.
Did you know? In 1926, France hosted the International Film Congress in Paris to address Hollywood’s early dominance in Europe, marking an early precedent for modern state-backed cultural protections.
Historical Precedents: From the 1926 Film Congress to the Exception Culturelle
France has a long history of state intervention to shield its domestic creative sector from external commercial pressures. In the 1990s, the country introduced the exception culturelle during General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations, establishing that cultural goods and services should be treated differently from standard commercial products.
Current French broadcasting regulations require television services to reserve at least 60% of film broadcasts for European works and 40% for works using the French language. Furthermore, streaming services such as Netflix contribute directly to the system financing French production. Highlighting this relationship, Netflix co-chief executive officer Ted Sarandos received France’s highest civil award, the Legion of Honour, during the Saint-Paul-de-Vence summit.
Policy Lessons for Small Markets and Creative Sectors
Media and technology expert Steve Dempsey notes that smaller markets like Ireland, which maintain vibrant film sectors closely tied to foreign tech companies and capital allocators, face similar vulnerabilities as the marginal cost of producing media approaches zero. Without proactive measures, local talent and intellectual property risk being undermined by shifting corporate strategies from abroad.
Policy interventions discussed in comparative analyses of the French approach include enhancing existing film, television, animation, VFX, and games tax incentives to reward domestic intellectual property development. Additional proposals involve establishing dedicated creative technology funds for early-stage immersive media and fostering stronger institutional links between industry and third-level education.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Lumière Summit?
The Lumière Summit was a gathering of roughly 200 screen industry executives, policymakers, and creatives held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, where leaders signed the Lumière Declaration to protect human-led creation.
How much funding was announced by France and South Korea?
French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced a €1 billion investment over five years to support film, television, and screen industries.
What is the Lumière Declaration?
The Lumière Declaration is a 15-point document stating that moving images are a common good for society and asserting that human creation must remain at the center of the film and television industries rather than automated attention-economy metrics or AI replacements.
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