With its catalog consisting only of great cinema classics selected by famous directors the French streaming platform I love you is the anti-Netflix and hopes to attract new subscribers to perpetuate this unique offering. The idea was born at the beginning of the 2010s in the minds of directors Cédric Klapisch, Pascale Ferran and Laurent Cantet (who passed away in April 2024) from the need to be able to watch exceptional films but not found on the internet, while the video on demand (VOD) was in the process of replacing the DVD.
Cinetek’s concept is simple: i big names in cinema they give a list of about fifty films that have marked them, then the site teams find the rights holders of the feature film to be able to offer them for the Streaming of pagament.
Human selection and rights challenges
«No algorithms, just human recommendations» insists Pascale Ferran. Currently, approx 150 directors from all over the world have chosen 3,500 films, of which 2,500 available on Cinetek. Some masterpieces such as “L’Avventura” by Michelangelo Antonioni, released in 1960, required real detective work to find the rights holders. Even the negotiations with the American studios they were difficult. Big majors like Universal, Warner or Paramount are generally reluctant to give up the rights to a handful of their films, as Cinetek wants to be very selective in the choice of works.
Cinetek’s offer: subscriptions and retrospectives
“We miss Disney and MGM, but we’ll get there eventually,” says Pascale Ferran. The director of “Lady Chatterley” is today one of the main animators of the site, which offers access to around a hundred films from the catalogue, which are regularly renewed every 4.99 euros per month. Films can also be rented individually.
The site offers retrospectives on great directors, actors or actresses, or movements that have marked the history of cinema. The selection aims to be the most as eclectic as possible in terms of genre and country of production, ranging from auteur cinema ai blockbuster of the 20th century. Two of the most watched films have long been Francis Ford Coppola’s “Secret Conversation,” “a great arthouse film not easy to find,” and Francis Veber’s “The Goat,” “a popular comedy that people are happy to watch again with their children,” describes Pascale Ferran.
“We don’t want it to be a elite product“, insists Cédric Klapisch, who highlights the offer of 19 euros per year for under 25s. “We created the site for people who are not in Paris,” where the network of cinemas and institutions such as the Cinémathèque offer more opportunities, says Pascale Ferran, who regrets that many subscribers are still residents of the capital.
Association economic model and future objectives
The platform lives thanks to its people 20,000 subscriberswithout advertising, shareholders or investors, on a associative economic model. It benefits from the patronage and support of institutions such as the National Film Centre (CNC)which provides him with 400,000 euros, or about a quarter of his annual income.
“We also give them a hand in finding rights holders or in film restoration“, explains Laurent Cormier, director of assets of the CNC. «We are limited financially», admits Cédric Klapisch, who regrets the lack of a marketing campaign to make himself known, due to the lack of resources. The founders aim to 30,000 subscribers for greater peace of mind. They are also organizing three days of screenings in Montreuil, in the Paris region, as well as meetings with filmmakers, to present the platform.