Which of the following was NOT a factor in driving European producers and directors toward a more accessible, less challenging and disruptive cinema than had been seen during the era of political modernism in the 1970s and 1980s?

A. competition from Hollywood imports
B. the retirements or deaths of many of political modernism's foremost proponents
C. the decline of attendance and export markets
D. the conservatism of investors

Answer: B