World’s oldest cinema reopens

THE world’s oldest cinema, the Eden in La Ciotat near Marseille, where the first films of the pioneering Lumière brothers were screened in 1899, has reopened after an extensive facelift.

Gleaming, velvet seats replace dusty chairs; fresh yellow paint and mosaic tiles adorn the facade, while oak floors take the place of old carpets... the Eden, which closed in 1995, opened with a film show including some newly restored copies of Lumière brothers films.

Actress Nathalie Baye, and Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux were amongst the guests at the seafront theatre where the Lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis, screened their first moving pictures to 250 dazzled spectators on March 21, 1899.

The theatre was then owned by Raoul Gallaud, a friend of the brothers' father Antoine Lumiere - a rich industrialist.

Over the decades, the Eden became both a cinema and theatre, and several French film stars such as Yves Montand and Fernandel performed there in the early days of their careers.

But it hit bad times in the 1980s when the then owner was killed by crooks trying to steal his money, and movie buffs stopped going.

After that, the building opened for only one week every year to host a festival showcasing the first ever French-language movies, until its closure in 1995.

But supporters of this old, historic monument never gave up their fight to get it reopened, and it was not until Marseille was named European Capital of Culture for 2013 that local authorities finally agreed to renovations that cost €6million.

The Eden will operate as a normal cinema run by a private operator, and visitors will also be able to wander through a permanent exhibition outlining the origins of animated pictures.

Outside, the facade will be adorned with a laser installation at night depicting a train, to mark the 50-second-long film 'A train arriving at La Ciotat station' filmed by the Lumiere brothers in 1895. The film was said to have caused panic as cinema-goers saw the train coming towards them on-screen.

The challenge, though, will be to make the 166-seat theatre economically viable, and fans of the theatre believe it should be a larger cultural project that offers educational tours for school children, screens restored films and hosts film festivals.
© AFP/Connexion - Photo: ©AFP PHOTO - ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT