Co-produce or Perish. An Interpretive Study of European Film Co-production Policies

Co-producing has been an essential production model among European film producers for many decades. European co-productions have been the most successful European films in economic terms, considering that they are normally marked by international distribution and high production value. While there can be obvious economic reasons for co-producing, co-producing is also linked to the realization of cultural and political ideals of unity among European nation states based on building commonalities and celebrating diversities. Due to such a complex role, European co-productions are regulated by specific national and transnational policies that over decades have evolved into a distinct transnational field of European co-productions. This dissertation delineates that field by exploring its internal logic, its major stakeholders, and its contribution to the idea of European cinema. Through an interpretive study of the European co-production policies based on document analysis, observation and qualitative interviews, this dissertation traces the historical development of the economic, cultural and political aspects of European co-productions and uncovers the present state of the field as seen by the policy implementers (the field’s gatekeepers) and policy end-users (film producers).

Co-produktion har været en vigtig produktionsmodel blandt europæiske filmproducenter i flere årtier. Flere af de økonomisk mest succesfulde europæiske film har været dyre co-produktioner med festivalsucces og international distribution. Der er mange indlysende økonomiske årsager til at co-producere, men samtidig er europæisk co-produktion forbundet med kulturelle og politiske idealer, der forsøger at rumme både fællesnævnere og forskelligheder blandt de europæiske nationer. Europæisk co-produktion foregår i et komplekst spændingsfelt mellem national og transnational politik, der over årtier har udviklet sig til et distinkt transnationalt felt for europæisk co-produktion. Denne afhandling analyserer dette felt ved at udforske dets interne logik, dets centrale aktører samt dets bidrag til forskellige opfattelser af europæisk film. Gennem en fortolkende analyse af europæisk co-produktions politiske rammesætning, baseret på dokumentanalyse, observation og kvalitative interviews, undersøger denne afhandling den historiske udvikling af europæisk co-produktions økonomiske, politiske og kulturelle aspekter. Afhandlingen afdækker samtidig feltets aktuelle strukturer set fra perspektivet af dets ’policy implementers’ (feltets gatekeepere) dets ’policy end-users’ (filmproducenterne).