Paris, France: Outdoor Movie Festival not Free Anymore

Cinéma en Plein Air at Parc de la Villette in Paris drew controversy in 2008 when organizers proposed charging €2 admission -- breaking the event's 17-year tradition of free entry. The series, which typically attracted 350,000 visitors over a summer and screened on a 280-square-metre screen, was one of the largest outdoor cinema events in Europe. Objections were swift: regular attendees and cultural commentators argued that charging admission changed the character of an event that had always been a democratic public space. The organizers ultimately kept the event free.