Since October 29, the date of the second closure in the year of the 2000 French cinemas, life has been a bit sad in Cucuron in the Lubéron.
Famous for its basin, the village of 2,000 souls normally attracts spectators from all over the region thanks to its famous
Le
Cigalon
cinema
.
A month ago, a joyful crowd flocked there to see Laure Calamy on the big screen in
Antoinette in the Cévennes
by Caroline Vignal.
Danish Thomas Vinterberg's
Drunk
start
with Mads Mikkelsen was excellent and
Albert Dupontel's
Adieu les Cons
was coming to the bill.
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Admittedly, after the first confinement, the restart during the summer had been a little slow but by the end of September, the public had resumed its habits.
Unfortunately, the curfew in the region was not enough to limit the pandemic and it was necessary, as in March, to lower the curtain again.
From in front of the
Cigalon
, a sign warns passers-by:
“Closed until further notice”
.
Cut off in its tracks, the film crew
“resigned”.
Twice a week, its director Clémence Renoux goes on site:
"I turn on the projectors, I ventilate."
The rest of the time, she manages day-to-day business.
Its three employees, Corinne Privat who liaises with schools and associations such as projectionists Julien Lacan-Vinson and Davide Borghini are 100% technically unemployed.
"We are waiting with a certain suspense to see what President Emmanuel Macron will say on television on Tuesday, November 24,
" says Clémence Renoux.
Like all other exhibitors, it asks itself two major questions for its activity: when will the cinemas be able to welcome the public and under what conditions?
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In Paris, at the headquarters of the National Federation of French Cinemas (FNCF), its delegate general Marc-Olivier Sebbag adds:
“Even if he cannot go into details, the President must set a course, an objective which is certain. .
He absolutely has to talk about the culture, at least utter a sentence. "
In Sarlat in the Dordogne, Arnaud Vialle at the head of the
Rex
will also be in front of his television
.
C
funny ette period, he lives with
"fatalism".
On the storefront of his family cinema, time has stood still.
The posters of films due out on November 4, such as
Slalom
by Charlène Favier and
La nuée
by Just Philippot are still there.
In the country of Lascaux, there has never been a curfew.
“We were running at full speed, we had returned to 50-60% of our attendance, barrier gestures were perfectly respected so we experienced this second closure as an injustice,”
says Arnaud Vialle.
If the Elysee once again imposes a national curfew resulting in the abolition of the 8 pm session requiring the rooms to work only in the afternoon, it is for
“a blockade
”.
And to insist: “
We have suffered too much.
"
Disney stabbed us in the back by switching its film releases to its Disney + platform.
"
Arnaud Vialle, director of the Rex in Sarlat.
When it reopens, it will resume the films showing on October 29:
Goodbye Cons, DNA, Poly, 100% wolf, 30 days max
and
Drunk
.
Not to mention the American superhero film
Wonder Woman
dated by Warner to December 16.
"
We owe the greatest respect to Warner and its French leaders,"
says Arnaud Vialle.
They were the only studios to help movie theaters in the world.
First with
Tenet
by Christopher Nolan at the end of the summer and then with
Wonder Woman
.
They release this blockbuster in France nine days before the United States.
It's a huge gesture.
Conversely, Disney stabbed us in the back by switching its film releases to its Disney + platform.
"
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Wonder Woman 1984 Trailer
In Le Havre, Gautier Labrusse at the head of the
Lux
arthouse cinema
and president of the grouping of research cinemas (150 cinemas in France) calls for the return of school groups in cinemas these days.
“Schools are open, there is no reason why school children cannot go to see films on the big screen.
Our mission is to renew the public ”.
Gautier Labrusse is also in favor of establishing a “
white week”
before the release of new films.
“
This will help avoid traffic jams and keep the films showing this fall alive
,” he says.
Finally, in Frontignan, near Sète in the Hérault region, the
CinéMistral
is one of the most dynamic
arthouse
cinemas in France.
At the head of this small Mediterranean theater, Priscilla Schneider will cover films that only played for two days, such as
DNA
by Maïwenn and
Garcon Boy
by Nicolas Maury.
She hopes the announcement of at least one French blockbuster opposite
Wonder Woman
.
"
The shift of the output of
Tuche 4
February is a huge disappointment
"
,
she sighs.
Before concluding, with a hint of hope: “
At Christmas, we need French films that do good, but those that are announced for the moment are very hard.
Once the President of the Republic has announced the date for the reopening of cinemas, distributors will redo their calculations. ”
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James Bond
,
Dune, La Nurée, Kaamelott, Les Tuche 4, Aline ...
What films have been postponed or canceled at the cinema