What are quality marks for in the cultural industries? The case of “Art et essai” cinemas and “LIR” bookshops

Résumé 0

‪This article aims to shed light on the constitution and functioning of two quality marks intended to identify and promote a diversified offer in the fields of books and cinema, which are characterized by different forms of public intervention and market structures. The analysis of the Art et essai classification, established in the early 1960s for the cinema, and of the LIR label (independent reference bookshops) created at the end of the 2000s, allows to understand how, in each of these markets, quality marks contribute to shaping the perception of the cultural offer, to orienting the logic of the operators, and, through their performative effect, to bringing about solidarity between heterogeneous structures. After briefly presenting the genesis of these institutional labels, the article examines the current issues of the qualification of cinemas and bookshops. The latter go beyond these official quality marks, as it is in fact the opposition to the dominant actors of each field that is being redefined. The article is based on two field surveys consisting of interviews with various intermediaries from the world of bookselling and cinema, with public policy makers, together with the analysis of documentary and media sources.‪