• New projection system, new armchairs and a new sound and light atmosphere, the rooms of the Variétés cinema have been renovated and modernized.

  • Since January 6, the work has started.

    The confinement "finally fell well, estimates the director.

    Otherwise, we would not have been able to break through during the afternoon ”.

  • The programming is already ready, "there are only a few finishes left" and the doors will finally be able to reopen.

Polish the ramps to the theaters, put up the posters, the days are approaching before the cinemas reopen and the last details count. At Variety, in Nice, "we are more than ready," says its director Thierry Duchêne. “We took advantage of this difficult period to renovate the rooms. The 452 new “new comfort” seats in room 7 are just waiting for the spectators ”, he exclaims.

New seats including "duos", a "laser" digital projection which improves the quality of the image, better acoustics, a "very white" canvas and the little element that changes everything: a new atmosphere of colors on the walls .

“We hadn't done any work for years,” says the director.

We then decided to go all out and innovate.

Containment finally fell well because otherwise we would not have been able to break through and the renovation could have lasted for months.

And then, you have to modernize from time to time, especially since you are housed in a building from the 1940s, ”he smiles.

Rediscover the pleasure of a movie theater

The Rialto, of which Thierry Duchêne is also the director, has also benefited from a new lease of life. The carpet has been changed, the air conditioning and heating system as well and all the steps are now bright. The manager does everything to ensure that his clients rediscover “the pleasure of the cinema room”.

“We are happy to find a life again. It was heavy. The Variety has not functioned normally for a long time with the work of the tram then the health crisis ”. After being “very disappointed” in December, the cinemas boss apprehends this new reopening. “I'm a little afraid of the recovery, of the general behavior. It would be terrible if we had to relive a catastrophic episode like last year. But I know that the public who comes to the cinema is very respectful and that we will also ensure the application of health measures ”.

From May 19, the gauge will be set at 35% of the room's capacity.

Three weeks later, the limit drops to 65% to return to normal from the end of June.

Another particularity: no sale of sweets.

“At least the new rooms will all stay clean,” jokes the manager.

These are sometimes incomprehensible details, but we accept.

Now all we can think of is reopening our doors ”.

The program is complete for the next few weeks, the employees are prepared and the renovation is complete.

Even if there is no smell of popcorn, we feel that the opening is near and that we are impatient at the counter.

“See you on May 19, we are expecting you!

», Concludes Thierry Duchêne.

Cinema

With the arrival of training from the Louis-Lumière school in Nice, the desire is to "revive" cinema in the region.

Economy

The Cannes Film Festival will also be held online in May

  • Movie theater

  • Cinema

  • Covid 19

  • Nice

  • Culture