Le Figaro Nice
Formerly the border of the Kingdom of France, the city of Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes), open to the Mediterranean, shines for the place it gives to culture.
There we find the second theater in France in terms of attendance, behind the Comédie Française, the conservatory of music and dramatic art, the Picasso museum and even Fort Carré (remnant of the reign of Henri II).
“Our mayor has always had this ambition to see things big, particularly with regard to culture
,” observes Simone Thorres Foret-Dodelin, deputy for Culture.
An ambition for his city that Jean Léonetti - also a former minister and deputy (LR) - did not hesitate to put at the service of the seventh art when the opportunity presented itself.
With the opening of the Cineplanet cinema complex in the city center at the beginning of February, the city councilor hit hard.
Firstly because the cinemas, when they do not lower the curtain, mostly open on the outskirts of cities, in commercial areas.
Then, because after Covid-19, we thought the golden age of screening rooms was buried for good.
“We’re slowly coming back from it.
The year 2024 is off to a pretty good start but it is only in 2025 that we should see a nice, big recovery in activity
,” indicates Philippe Borys-Combret, CEO of Cineplanet, which has five other complexes in the south of France.
But how can we be sure to attract budding movie buffs in an era marked by the development of video-on-demand platforms (Netflix and Amazon Prime to name just two)?
Also read: Édouard Baer and Jonathan Cohen: “French cinema separates us, one day we will know why”
Elegance and modernity
Audacious, the bet is in any case launched.
At number 11 rue Lacan, two hundred meters from the port, a glass and concrete building, a marriage of elegance and modernity, with a facade that features large origami folds, appears.
4000 square meters nested in the heart of the Marenda Lacan eco-district.
“It is a singular object, a signal and a landmark in the city.
The facets reflect the colors of Antibes
,” praises its architect, Delphine Altier, of the Leclercq Associés firm.
“We believe a lot in downtown cinemas.
Let's not forget that this is the most practiced leisure activity in France.
And yet, there is a lack of chairs and rooms in the department.
Antibes was until now particularly deprived of a modern cinema
,” remarks Philippe Borys-Combret.
And added: “
In the city, it’s part of an outing with going for a drink or a bite to eat.
It’s simply something that allows you to get out of the house.”
For this big screen professional,
“cinema is the backbone of a film.
It is even a springboard for the exploitation of streaming.
And then, just because you can cook yourself with your microwave doesn't mean you no longer go to restaurants.
It’s the same with cinema.
People need it.”
It's obvious, the seventh art contributes to bringing life to the heart of the city and it generates revenue.
Simone Thorres Foret-Dodelin, Deputy for Culture of the city of Antibes.
Focusing on the opening of this establishment in the middle of homes and businesses is also a clever way of boosting the economic and social life of a neighborhood.
“It’s obvious, the seventh art contributes to bringing life to the heart of the city and it generates revenue
,” adds the deputy mayor.
“Since the Cineplanet opened its doors, we have been breathing!
It was very quiet before, there weren't many people.
Now we are very busy
,” rejoices one of the waiters at Miss Cookies Coffee, located just opposite the Cineplanet.
“Another advantage is that the streets come back to life in the evening when usually it was desert.
With sessions that some end at midnight, there are always people outside, and then some want to drink or eat something after the session
,” adds a shopkeeper from a nearby pedestrian street.
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Tranquility and comfort
Inside the Cineplanet, the verticality is striking.
Four stories, twelve meters high.
And a landscaped roof with panoramic views which will soon be the terrace of a restaurant.
But above all, eight dark rooms filled with a thousand seats in total and screens measuring nine to fifteen meters.
“Ordinary” rooms and other more “premium” ones.
Like the “Cozy” and “Lodge” rooms, equipped respectively with 50 and 35 electrically reclining chairs and some of which feature cutting-edge technology.
“The idea is to get out of the house while rediscovering the pleasure of the sofa and more.
Here we offer tranquility and comfort to spectators.
The hardest part is not falling asleep
,” explains Anthony Brochain, the operator of the Cineplanet Antibes.
Eight rooms and around a thousand seats
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Another originality of the multiplex, the benches for two.
“Because the cinema is also a meeting place.
A romantic date, particularly in the city, can be done at the cinema.
And on an armchair for two, it’s immediately more intimate
,” explains Anthony Brochain.
For these premium rooms, you have to count on an additional four to six euros on a standard ticket sold at a price of 12.90 euros.
Read alsoCinema, series, documentaries: Nice hosted nearly 600 days of filming in one year
Eco-responsible and “inclusive”
Eco-responsible, the Cineplanet also takes advantage of its urban location to recover the city's wastewater.
Once converted, they power a quasi-industrial heating system.
The Antibes multiplex finally wants to be “inclusive”.
Accessible to people with reduced mobility or the hearing impaired,
“the Cineplanet brings out of their solitude people who we do not immediately think of for this type of leisure”,
praises Philippe Borys-Combret.
The CEO highlights his ambition to get closer to the local associative fabric:
“The idea is to offer associations dedicated sessions which allow them to come together around their themes, followed if necessary by debates.
All of course at preferential rates
.
Open for ten days, the establishment will be officially inaugurated on Tuesday February 13.
Philippe Borys-Combret is banking on an annual attendance of 300,000 entries.
“In this context, our only competitors are the sea and the weather!”
, he concludes with humor.