REPORTING. Threatened with eviction, the Luminor, the last cinema in the Marais in Paris, wants to resist

The Luminor, an emblematic neighborhood cinema in the center of Paris, saw its lease not renewed by the company that owns the walls. His passing would mark the end of 110 years dedicated to independent cinema. A petition is launched.

1:50 p.m., quiet Friday. In front of 20 rue du Temple, five or six onlookers raise their chins, pupils fixed on the XXL posters of the Luminor. This cinema, open since 1912, has become over its history an emblematic place in the Marais. Between screenings, film club and debates, it punctuates the lives of local film lovers by defending the most demanding and exceptional creations.

Some strollers finally approach, hesitate, visibly torn between different desires. “Why not Goya?”loose a lady to her companion. Goya’s shadow is screened at 2 p.m., a documentary on Jean-Claude Carrière in the footsteps of the painter. A little-distributed film, barely visible in about fifteen theaters in Île-de-France, and which lives in part thanks to this kind of independent theater.

These spectators may not know it but the Luminor could soon disappear. This Arthouse cinema saw its lease not renewed in 2020 by the real estate company owner of the walls, Sofra. It is this company that created and operated the Latina cinema 35 years ago, leased in 2008, which has since become the Luminor, and is now operated by Carlotta Cinema. “Today, the walls are owned through our commercial real estate subsidiary. This real estate does not have in its corporate purpose to subsidize the film industry”explains a Press release laconic and unsentimental. In other words, this lease was not profitable enough. “The very advantageous rent of the Luminor, 80,000 euros per year, was five to seven times lower than the current rates in this district”, indicates the company. In short, they could earn more and are chomping at the bit. SO bye-bye the cinema.

“They imagine anything about the prices”argues for his part François Yon, the director of the place, “the lease is in reality so unfavorable to us that the judge set the compensation for occupying the premises that we have been paying for a year and a half at a level lower than that of the rent.” He further wonders about the possibility of the breakage of such a cultural space without information on what will replace it: “From the moment they want to destroy a place of culture, what is it to do? We have the right to know, right?”

François Yon, however, has a smile, he talks about these hundreds of supporters who come from everywhere, elected officials, filmmakers, distributors, residents of the neighborhood and spectators. Of his hopes too. Mainly dialogue. the one to come, “Finally”in November with this face-to-face with Sofra, in the presence of Carine Rolland, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of culture who says “stand fully alongside the Luminor”. An opportunity perhaps to put solutions on the table. “Until then, Sofra spoke to us only through bailiffs, lawyers and threats.” And then there is this online petitionlaunched since September 22 to maintain the cinema, and which to date has collected nearly 10,000 signatures.

A place in good health, despite the cinema crisis

“A place like the Luminor, which sometimes shows films released three weeks earlier, makes it possible to extend the life of a work in theaters”, explains Corentin Sénéchal, director of distribution at Epicenter. This professional manages precisely Goya’s shadowon view for two days at the rue du Temple cinema. “For us, a small independent distributor, obtaining programming in an MK2 or a UGC is complicated. So an independent cinema like the Luminor, which irrigates an entire district, is a healthy relay for our films.”

François Yon puts another point forward: while the cinema crisis is on everyone’s lips in the industry, the Luminor is doing well. Its two rooms (180 and 60 seats) show 100,000 annual admissions. On October 6 at the Institut du monde Arabe, when the entire profession called for Estates General of Cinema, a voice rose in the audience for the Luminor not to close. This speech came from La Clef Revival, this collective of local residents, spectators and professionals, who are trying to save the La Clef cinema (Paris 5th) although the room closed its doors on the 1st last March, the security forces having evicted the occupants.

1:58 p.m., the session will begin. Philip is “a devotee” Luminor and he prefers to go and see The Mysteries of Barcelona Today. And as he pulls open the glass door, and walks towards the checkout, the colors of the K-Way sign scratch his face. In the street, big brands have replaced small shops and places of culture: K-Way, American Vintage, Carhartt… Names that can be found in New York as well as in London or Madrid. Inside, the man takes his ticket, puts his papers away. Before going up the grand staircase, he comments on the situation, head down, final in his thoughts: “We’re killing diversity…”