Cinéligue NPDC Théâtre St Martin

Film: Incredibles 2 (2018)

Screens: 1  Ticket Price: 4.80€

Three years after my first Cinéligue experience (in Fruges), the chance to go to another of their screenings finally came around again -- this time in Beaurainville, which, from where we were staying, is on the way to Montreuil-sur-Mer.  At least three consecutive issues of a local weekly newspaper listed the screening as taking place a day later than the date advertised on Cinéligue's website, which was something of a concern.  In the end I went with the website and, thankfully, that was the right choice.  Although I couldn't help but think that Cinéligue could well have lost out on some business due to this error, with many of the good people of Beaurainville potentially turning up a day late (and a euro short).

I'd never been to Beaurainville before, and while the drive there was pretty straightforward I must confess I doubt if I'd have found the venue without the aid of the previously-vilified GPS.  When I did find the right street, I was mighty relieved to see the Cinéligue van stationed in front of the building.  I parked up in a nearby side street and headed on in.

This venue is quite different to the one in Fruges in that it is an actual theatre, so the stage and the permanent seating etc. are all in place, and in all honesty it would pretty much pass for a dedicated cinema if you were unaware that this was a Cinéligue venture.  I'm pretty sure that the friendly guy who sold me my ticket (who also starts the projector and, presumably, drives the van) is the same one I encountered last time, and, amazingly, the ticket price was also the same as it was in Fruges in 2015.

An 8.30 start is a bit late for a film primarily aimed at kids, and Pixar don't exactly do snappy 80-minute films.  Add on the obligatory short film and a couple of trailers -- plus a delay for the man to get from the ticket counter to the projector -- and it was after 10.30 when we started spilling out into the dark; even I was wilting a bit by the end.  Cinéligue usually tend to screen kids' films as matinees, but I suppose it was the school holidays.  As you can see from the above picture, the building is quite striking, and it was a very nice place to catch up with a film I was otherwise struggling to fit in over the crammed summer schedule.  Three years on, my opinion of the whole Cinéligue operation hasn't changed: it's a fantastic initiative which you should try and support/experience if you ever find yourself within easy reach of one of their events.

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Cinéligue NPDC Espace culturel Francis Sagot

Film: Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément! (2015)

Screens: 1  Ticket Price: 4.80€

It's been five long years since I've had the pleasure of discovering a new cinema in France; granted, during that half-decade I'd managed to get along to French cinemas whenever the chance arose, but always to a venue I'd been to before.  The blog does get minor updates from time to time (usually whenever I've seen a film in France), but such edits aren't reflected in the dates -- which are noted according to when the post was first published -- so please don't think this is the first thing I've done on here since 2011.

Anyway, with such ramblings out of the way, to the cinema in question: well, it's not actually a cinema per se, but rather a multi-use venue that sometimes plays host to a form of pop-up cinema.  Such events are run by Cinéligue, an organisation that tours around the region and effectively plugs the gaps for places that don't have cinemas.  This concept is pretty great, especially when you consider the abundance of cinemas that there are in France to begin with, and it serves to remind us of just how valued the seventh art is in that country.

My experience of Cinéligue is a shining example of just how useful this setup is.  We were on a family holiday, and a full week away often provides a decent chance of clocking up another French cinema experience.  However, the village we were staying in was a good distance from the nearest cinema(s) -- fumbling with the map and our nigh on useless GPS, it looked like either one of two cinemas I'd notionally picked would involve something of a 90 minute round-trip, which was really out of the question.  However, while out walking in the village, a poster in the town hall window advertised Cinéligue's activities in Fruges, a town we'd passed through on the drive down from the ferry; better still, one of the two dates listed coincided with our holiday time (the other date was for a film I'd already seen, so that was all very fortunate).  

So, a couple of days later and after a very busy day at the excellent Dennlys parc, I headed out to Fruges, which took about 15 minutes by car.  With only the loosest sense of where the cinema was, I parked up in the town hall car park (you can usually rely on being able to do that in France, especially in the evening).  Luckily there was a sign pointing to the Espace culturel, and in about 10 minutes or so I'd walked to where I thought the place was; however, the road I'd walked along showed no signs of activity, and when I found the building it appeared to be closed -- black privacy glass gave no clue as to whether anyone was inside, and there were no cars or people around.  

Wandering around the back of the building, I spotted a Cinéligue van parked up, so decided to go back to the main entrance and try the door, which thankfully opened without the wail of an intruder alarm.  Just past the entrance lobby there was a desk where I bought my (superbly cheap) ticket, before taking my seat alongside half a dozen other people.  Gradually, the place got busier, and after a talk about coming attractions (in lieu of trailers, I guess), a short played before the main feature.  The film (Clovis Cornillac's directorial debut) was very enjoyable -- much more fun than I'd anticipated -- and, as is so often the case in France, the novel venue just added to the experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Cinéligue experience, and would be pleased to support the initiative again.  One suggestion for this venue, however -- maybe prop open the door at the start of the evening, and not just at closing time?

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