One in two screenwriters reports having worked without a written contract, despite the legal obligation to frame each collaboration. Copyrights, meant to ensure creators a continuous income, clash with practices of flat-rate purchases and often unpredictable payment deadlines. At the same time, public recognition of writing work remains marginal, even though the screenplay has been regarded for over a century as the foundational structure of any cinematic work.
The current debates on the social protection of professionals in the sector reveal long-standing tensions, rarely exposed outside the small circle of insiders.
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Behind the scenes of cinema: precariousness and invisibility of shadow professions
The daily life of shadow producers, including directors, resembles a double challenge: facing persistent precariousness while remaining largely invisible to institutions. The figures put forward by the SNMS are indisputable: half of the directing professionals in France earn less than 6,000 euros annually from their profession. This already difficult reality worsens after the cut of more than 200 million euros from the Ministry of Culture’s budget for 2024, which directly affects creation and further isolates those who, far from the spotlight, build each work.
Paris and the regions do not share the same story. Women barely sign 30% of the performances hosted by the National Dramatic Centers, while artists of color, such as Rébecca Chaillon or Mohamed El Khatib, continue to face discrimination and low institutional recognition. The landscape is shrinking: subsidies are evaporating, the number of performances is collapsing, by up to 54% less, according to LAPAS, for the 2024-2025 season. Entire teams, from the stage manager to the costume designer, see their stability threatened.
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To better understand the current dynamics, here are some initiatives that are trying to shift the lines nonetheless:
- The action of Bruno Pésery, whose commitment to highlighting invisible professions aims to rebalance power relations.
- The T13 Prize, which shines a light on often overlooked journeys.
- The Equality on Stage program, aimed at promoting new voices.
- The IMAGO Festival, entirely dedicated to the inclusion of artists with disabilities.
These initiatives, while important, struggle to compensate for the constant reduction of resources. Behind each creation, there is a human chain fighting: for its rights, for its recognition, and for the survival of an artistic model weakened each season.
The screenplay, an unknown pillar: why protect screenwriters, guardians of story and cultural diversity?
In the grand machinery of cinema, the screenwriter occupies a discreet yet decisive place. Their work, that of the foundational text, takes place far from the spotlight, in the silence of an office or a café, sometimes for months on end. This written work is the bedrock of every film: without it, there is no narrative, no dialogue, no emotion to convey.
In France, the situation for screenwriters becomes more complicated as subsidies for artistic creation dwindle. In 2024, the cut of 200 million euros from the Ministry of Culture’s budget, nearly half of which affects creation, has a direct impact on copyrights. Compensation becomes uncertain, and the diversity of voices, vital to the dynamism of cinema, slowly erodes.
Valuing the work of screenwriters is to guarantee cultural diversity and preserve the plurality of perspectives. Some initiatives aim to encourage this diversity:
- The T13 Prize, to bring forth previously invisible talents.
- The Equality on Stage program, which supports the representation of women, artists of color, or those with disabilities.
But the decrease in funding weakens the entire structure, limiting screenwriters’ ability to renew the collective imagination. Protecting their place is not just about defending a profession; it is about safeguarding cinema as a space for shared invention. Giving the screenplay its rightful place is to defend memory, history, and the possibility of a narrative that is unlike any other.
When the lights go out, what remains is the text, the voice, and the momentum of those who write in the shadows. Without them, cinema would run on empty. Who will still take the risk of inventing tomorrow if diversity withers and invisibility prevails?