“It’s a nightmare worthy of a disaster film” Emmanuel Itier, journalist and director, is devastated by the fires which are devastating Los Angeles. “We don’t know when it’s going to stop,” he said to 20 Minutes. The film industry, like that of series, is completely stopped. And clearly, you don't see yourself calling a producer to find out if they liked your script. That would be indecent! » And everyone is patiently following the news with anxiety.
Emmanuel Itier lives 150 kilometers from the fires but that does not mean that he does not feel the effects. “I welcome friends whose house is no longer habitable,” he confides. Solidarity is being organized among the population even when we are not directly affected because nothing has been planned by the government. »
A dramatic financial situation
In the United States, overpriced insurance makes life all the more difficult for the profession. “It's very simple: there are rich people and stars who will always get by, but for ordinary mortals who work in the cinema, it's horror because we no longer receive a penny a day the next day,” declares Emmanuel Itier. He himself had to go and sell cars at a friend's dealership, just to pay his rent. “I'm not complaining because this solution allows me to keep my head above water, but many pros don't have this chance,” he admits.
Not only are productions at a standstill due to fire and poor air quality, but also to avoid blocking the roads which must remain accessible to emergency services. Firefighters, police officers and caregivers requested the suspension of filming for these reasons. Productions that had chosen to film in California in order to benefit from subsidies are waiting to be able to resume work as soon as they are given authorization. “It is impossible to imagine the impact that the fires will have on cinema because nothing like this has ever happened. Only one thing is certain: the direct or collateral damage will be considerable, especially since things are not improving quickly,” he explains. FilmLA, the agency responsible for issuing film permits in Los Angeles, issued a notice stating that “personnel resources typically available to support film production may not be available during the local state of emergency.” We already know that season 2 of the series “Fallout” and “Grey's Anatomy” have seen their filming interrupted. But many other projects have been put on hold. After the historic screenwriters' strike in 2023, it is now the climatic conditions which are hitting the Hollywood entertainment industry hard.
