The brand new cultural hub in Frontignan is running at full speed.
The Quai des lumières cinema is smashing records: over 54,000 entries in less than four months! It wasn’t an easy journey: the place faced political and citizen struggles to come to fruition, dealt with fickle financiers and delays. Finally operational since December, it is now a real success.
“Cinema of diversity”
“We had 983 people this Sunday, April 12, it’s simply incredible,” says Priscilla Schneider, director of the cinema. Week after week, the enthusiasm for this new cinema is not diminishing. It can accommodate 550 people when all four rooms are full. The bad weather this winter may have contributed to the good results, but that alone doesn’t explain this success. “We are aware that things will calm down and are eager to see how the tourist season will go with our more attractive cinemas (than the former Cinémistral) in terms of technological comfort and pricing. We are making choices that are bearing fruit. Our pricing, including the subscription card or two tickets for the price of one on Tuesday nights, is working very well,” affirms the director.
For direct ticket purchases, the cinema favors direct contact with customers to “feel” their desires and therefore does not want to install a vending machine.
“Catering to customers helps us with programming, allowing us to better cater to current trends. Wanting to be a cinema of diversity, we must cover a wide range from big releases like ‘Mario’ to arthouse cinema like ‘Les rayons et les ombres,’ a 3-hour 17-minute film that fills every screening in the cozy room, and also mainstream cinema like ‘Compostelle,’ which we paired with a walk in the salt marshes. This week, we are showing ‘Bagarre,’ a comedy for teenagers, driven by social media and Marina Foïs, which should attract young people from the town.”
Intimate cinema
A real balancing act, the programming must take into account the pressure from distributors who want to screen their films on Saturday nights. Between the Quai des lumières cinema, the people of Frontignan, and visitors from the Thau basin, there is a true love story that continues. “But there are still many people who have not yet crossed the threshold, so we must continue to communicate,” comments Priscilla Schneider. The long-term goal: to open a more intimate arthouse cinema “that is necessary for everyone.”
Midi Libre correspondent: 06 78 75 48 78
