Cinema, a masculine world… but mainly frequented by women

Studies from the CNC (French National Centre of Cinematography) show that women go to the cinema more often than men: in 2010, they represented 53.9% of cinema-goers and 55% of unlimited access card holders (for only 51.8% of the French population). But it’s the films that are watched where we see the most striking difference: cinema remains very segmented according to gender…

First of all, men and women differ over the origin of the films they go to see. While both sexes claim to like American films, women see more French films (1% more) and much fewer non-European films (20% less).

Why is there such a difference? Notably because of their different influences when choosing the films. Men mostly rely on the media, while women have a social affinity with cinema that leads them to prefer films with actors or directors they know, or films that they’ve heard good things about (influence of word of mouth): as European and American films are the most viewed and commented on in France, its therefore toward those films that women turn. But the films present in the 2010 box office are practically all American.