The recovery had already been “very complicated” in the North-East room of Piennes after the first confinement decided by the French government to fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. Fortunately, some cinema subscribers had returned to rue Michel-Rondet! “About twenty spectators per weekend”, accounts François Cirre in a place which totals “4,700 admissions per year” and has the merit of existing while the closest structures are located in Longwy, Thionville or Verdun.
–
Private Festival and spectators
The Art en stock association that he chairs was therefore hopeful of continuing its momentum. Since 2015, she has been offering films on the big screen to the public in a semi-rural area. The 2e wave of the epidemic changed everything. “Friday, October 30, we had to cancel the screening with eighty children from the Audun-le-Roman day center. We also did not organize a delocalized screening of the Italian Film Festival with meals, whereas each year, it is a success, ”deplores the Joudrevillois. A severe blow when “85% of the budget comes from the entries and our various actions”!
“When it’s cold, we have for 150, 200 € per weekend in heating”
Because if the site belongs to a family real estate company, it is necessary to think of paying “the rent, the fire safety, the maintenance costs” of the emblematic building even if the screen remains black. “When it’s cold, it amounts to 150, 200 € per weekend in heating,” notes François Cirre. The volunteer therefore hopes for “financial assistance from the National Center for Cinematography” and always the support of the communities. “We receive a € 200 subsidy from the municipality of Piennes, € 300 from Joudreville and Bouligny and € 1,800 from the Cœur du Pays-Haut intermunicipal association. This is already good, but it would be even better if all elected officials could realize the importance of image education for students and the population. “
Still upset by the death following the coronavirus of René Parmentier, the manager of the cinema of Ars-sur-Moselle, “who advised me a lot”, the enthusiast does not intend to give up his cinema. “The strength of the network with Jœuf, Jarny, Conflans and the public, which we hope will be numerous in December if we can reopen, supports us. “
–
