Le Figaro Nantes
Back to his first love.
When it was founded in 1917, the current independent cinema Le Concorde was a dance hall.
A few months later, the establishment showed films there after the Sunday afternoon ball.
Success is on the way.
In February 1918, the cabaret then became the Cinéma Grand National.
105 years later, the festive spirit does not leave the premises.
And should even intensify.
On Wednesday, November 30, the arthouse cinema received the green light from the Loire-Atlantique departmental commission for cinematographic development for an extension project: “
It's going to be a party every day!
“, rejoices Sylvain Clochard, director and owner of the cinema since 2010.
Read alsoThe “crazy” year of French cinema between pandemic and great successes
"
It will become bigger than a cinema, but at the service of cinema
", summarizes the man who took over the reins of Concorde in 2010. His parents had acquired it in 1984. Today, exchanges and debates there are already regularly organised.
And always end with a moment of conviviality, as evidenced by the bars installed in the central aisle.
Since 2010, Sylvain Clochard has taken over the management of the cinema that his parents had acquired in 1984. Here he is sitting in an office fitted out over time.
When he was 10 years old, it was his room!
LT/Le Figaro
Guinguette, street café and cotton candy
In 2026, if all goes as planned, Le Concorde will have seven rooms and 778 seats spread over 3,000 square meters.
Against four and 287 seats currently, for 800 square meters.
The number of employees will triple to around fifteen.
The objective is to double attendance to reach 220,000 admissions per year.
Among the novelties, a café on the street in which it will be possible to enjoy a coffee, a beer or other culinary delicacy.
But also a crossing public passage that will take you to the end of the Prinquiau family square.
Rooms 1,2 and 3 will be combined to create a large space accessible to all.
If the installation of a bar is obviously planned, it will not be compulsory to consume to settle there: “
four grannies will be able to come and knit together, just like young people leaving college
”, cites Sylvain Clochard as an example.
This future “Grande Place” will be split in two from time to time in order to show a film there.
Sylvain Clochard in the corridor which will become a through public passage.
LT / Le Figaro
In the future outdoor green space, corresponding to room 4, foodtrucks will be set up.
Cotton candy, red wine, beer or lemonade will delight the taste buds in a guinguette atmosphere.
Above, the classroom will welcome the chatlettes of Concorde or the filmers, these cinematographic workshops offered to young people aged 15 to 25.
This reception space will also be available for hire.
And can even be transformed into a mini-disco: “
we go to see a film at 2 p.m. and then we have a boom!
jokes the director.
In addition, AMAPs will have the possibility of delivering their fruit and vegetables within the walls of the Concorde.
Pop-up stores will also have their place, as will temporary exhibitions.
A long-standing project
If the project is ambitious, it is not new.
"
As early as the 1990s, we realized, with my parents, that Le Concorde was too small
," says Sylvain Clochard.
The structure then tries to move, once to the same place as the current UGC of Saint-Herblain.
In vain.
Finally, the idea of adjoining acquisitions made its way and became feasible.
"
Between 2006 and 2012/2013, we acquired a plot, then two, three, four...
".
Among them, garages or a neighboring building currently unused.
The 100th anniversary of Concorde, in 2017, was a good opportunity to launch the project, but very quickly, the Covid appeared.
If he slows things down, he doesn't bury anything: “
we have the intimate conviction that cinema is not dead
”.
Moreover, despite a year of closure, Le Concorde has only lost 20% of its attendance and finds it a little more each week.
During the works, the rooms will remain open.
