Tarantino takes on British Film Industry

[Guest Lottie]

Quentin Tarantino, the president of the Cannes film festival jury, yesterday blamed the exodus of British film stars for the UK's ailing movie industry.

The director of Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction said the country suffered because its most successful actors headed to America in search of mega-stardom.

"People go to films to see stars," he said. "When countries had their own stars, they had an industry. There are only three countries in the world now with sustainable film industries - America, India and Hong Kong. What do they have in common? These countries have stars whom the public want to see."

Speaking on the first day of the world's most prestigious film festival, he said it was "easy and popular and fun" to demonise Hollywood blockbusters. "But a country cannot exist on auteur films alone - you need every type of film there is. Otherwise it's not an industry, it's a boutique.

"In Britain, in its heyday in the 1960s, every type of film was being made that could be made ... the Carry On films weren't art, but they were very funny."

In return the British actor Tilda Swinton, a member of the Cannes jury, attacked Hollywood's domination of the UK film culture. "Yes, a film culture cannot rely only on one brand," she said. "But no film culture can be based on only Hollywood imports. In Britain multiplexes outnumber art cinemas 10 to one. It's difficult for audiences to find a different sort of cinema, and difficult for film-makers and critics to think of making a different sort of cinema."

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