Blood and tears: that's entertainment!

It's one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year. Whether retirees, students or workers, fans of fantastic films met up for the sixteenth time at the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF), and once again enjoyed a rich and varied program which, for this edition, included some 130 films (101 features and 29 shorts), including five world premieres and no less than fifty-two Swiss premieres.

And yet, despite clement weather, a successful program and record attendance, there remains a certain restraint, a malaise, among the general public with regard to the festival. Many prefer (out of laziness, disinterest, fear of not understanding, fear of being frightened) to spend their entire evenings at the festival bars rather than go and see the films. Some even thought that the NIFFF was nothing more than the temporary bars set up for the occasion in the Jardins Anglais, and were particularly surprised when, bragging about their evening at the NIFFF the night before, they were asked: «What film did you see?.

That said, let's not be grumpy. After all, spending long evenings in the festival bars is also a way of experiencing the NIFFF (it also undoubtedly brings in a not inconsiderable amount of money, and contributes to the event's friendly, good-natured image). In any case, how can we explain the public's (and Neuchâtel's in particular) reluctance to attend? Many people, when asked «Why don't you go to the NIFFF? You'll see, it's fun», find as their only excuse (as they often do for oysters with lemon, fried cricket or other suspect dishes) «- No, it's not for me», when they haven't even tried it; probably not realizing how lucky they are to have in their town a festival as dynamic and fresh as the NIFFF.

But it's true that this year, the NIFFF had a serious competitor: the Euro soccer tournament. And judging by the cheers and honks of the horns heard both on the Pod (the famous avenue in Chaux-de-Fonds) and in downtown Neuchâtel, it's certain that the people of Neuchâtel this year were more attracted by this sporting event than by the darkened halls of the NIFFF. Many gathered to watch the various championship matches projected onto a giant screen at the Stade de la Maladière. There, they were able to admire together the players who, between tears and blood, offered the European public a particularly thrilling spectacle with their sometimes violent and aggressive play. But was it always sport, or was it more like cinema?