What is independent film-making and why should it be defended? In this book, Michel Reilhac, the head of Arte France Cinéma, explores the artistic and economic issues surrounding the cinema, which also reflect a choice of society.
The field of independent film-making is undergoing extensive changes caused by the changeover to digital technology and its decoupling from the popular cinema, as well as by the sudden transformation of viewers' behaviour and the astonishing integration of the Internet into our daily lives.
In confronting such perils, rather than simply interpret this as a serious crisis, Michel Reilhac chooses to adopt a resolutely constructive outlook by taking an inventory of the assets and advantages available to today's independent film-makers (despite how the market appears) so as to come to terms with the necessary adaptations without losing one's soul in the process – akin to inspecting one's weapons and troops before marching off into battle in closed-rank formation.

Michel Reilhac has been the director of "Forum des images" and a film producer and director. He now heads Arte France's "Unité cinéma."