Annual DVD Fair!

Filmmaker André Bonzel is also an avid film buff who believes in the enduring value of the DVD format for passing on heritage films!

Why is it important for you to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the DVD?

I’ll answer by talking about my love for cinema. I discovered cinema as a child thanks to a friend’s father who collected Super 8 films. From then on, I always wanted to have my own films. I started by collecting copies of films so I could watch them whenever I wanted to. Then the VHS arrived, which let us record movies, followed by the Laser Disc, which represented a huge leap in quality, especially Criterion releases, and finally DVDs and Blu-ray. The films were in the original formats. They included director’s comments. It was extraordinary, like having your own editing table at home! You could pause, watch the shots frame-by-frame, personalize them. Pure joy! I also love going to see movies in theaters, but being able to study a film is fascinating. And besides, works need to be watched again. For example, when I rewatched Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick, 1999), it completely changed my opinion of it, thanks in part to the bonus features that helped me understand it better. DVDs also allow you to take screenshots. Finally, there are so many films I discovered thanks to DVDs since they weren’t available otherwise.

What is your involvement with DVDs?

I own so many of them! I watch them with my kids, generally a film a day, mostly in the evening. I’m behind in my watching!

What will your presentation be like at the DVD Fair in Lyon?

I’ll be participating in a round table discussion on DVDs for the release of Jérôme Wybon’s book, for which I was a contributing writer, Vidéo, vidéos, published by Carlotta. I’ll be meeting with publishers. It’s very interesting to see what’s being released, to hear stories about rights and the search for rarities that have been lost… All these publishers are cinephiles, and I’m counting on discovering new cinematic works through conversations with these connoisseurs.

Which heritage work interests you at this year’s festival ?

I love silent movies. It’s how I discovered the cinema, starting with Chaplin films!