“Skills-based support!”

Arnaud Brun, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Adéquat Group, discusses the unique relationship between the Adéquat Group and Lumière...

Could you tell us about Adéquat and the Lumière film festival?

We’ve been supporting the festival since 2014. It’s the festival’s longevity that gives it its value. It’s a unique connection to the world of culture that we cherish deeply, and one that grows stronger every year. Cinema was born in Lyon, and the festival has become the global event for heritage cinema; our group was founded in Lyon 40 years ago, and we’ve transformed a regional company into a global group: both of us have slightly expanded in scale without forgetting our roots! Finally, I am deeply drawn to this concept of the long term, which fosters the development of wonderful stories, a concept that a family-owned business would naturally relate to.

In the upcoming years, we want to take this further thanks to the Adéquat Endowment Fund by supporting the Institut Lumière’s activities all year-round. I am convinced that access to culture for all is a powerful driver of equal opportunity. It’s a way to enable everyone to find their rightful place in society and in the world of work. 

What about your experience working with festival volunteers?
The organization of the festival relies in part on the commitment of hundreds of volunteers and partner organizations. Among them are students, retirees, job seekers, young people in workforce integration programs, refugees and others... For nine days, they work at their designated posts, welcome the public, speak multiple languages and work as a team while dealing with time constraints and unforeseen circumstances. This is remarkable, and we want to give back to those who can benefit from our expertise.

In concrete terms, a few days after the festival ends, we offer them job coaching workshops: CV writing, creating LinkedIn profiles, preparing for job interviews or learning about job opportunities in the region. We also offer one-on-one meetings with our fully available and dedicated recruiters. Part of this work involves promoting the skills they exhibit during the festival: punctuality, interpersonal skills plus the ability to perform well in a demanding environment. All this is important to a recruiter, and we help them showcase these qualities. This is skills-based support: it involves our teams, who are happy to participate in this event every year. 

Are commitment & sharing values that are important to both the Adéquat Group and the Lumière film festival ?

A commitment means going a little further than what’s expected of you. The festival has chosen to open its operations to volunteers who are far removed from the job market and work with organizations such as the Regional Prefecture and job placement associations. We could simply choose to give financial support, but we’ve decided to involve our teams, our recruiters and their expertise. Sharing makes it possible for as many people as possible to take part in this event. We also bring these cinematic moments to life for our employees, temporary workers and clients, while putting our expertise at the service of the volunteers. That’s what gives our partnership its true meaning: opening the festival even more and calling on everyone’s skills to support it.

Why is it important for the festival to screen films from all cinematic traditions?

The festival succeeds in bridging the not-always-obvious gap between critical acclaim and mainstream movies. By fostering dialogue across countries, eras and genres, the festival invites audiences on a journey, carried by the evocative power of cinema. You can see, all within the same week and throughout the city of Lyon, an American retrospective, an Asian classic and a family-friendly silent film concert. The festival also gives the public the chance to meet some of cinema’s greatest figures. You won’t find that anywhere else.

What are you most looking forward to seeing at Lumière 2026?

I am eager to attend the masterclass by the great actress Zhang Ziyi: these are unique opportunities to meet international film stars who come to talk about their art with great simplicity and authenticity.

 — Interview by Virginie Apiou