The President of the Republic announced Thursday that cinemas will be able to welcome the public again during the second stage of national deconfinement, on May 19.
The reopening will be framed by a strict health protocol while many films, whose release date had been postponed, should be released in the coming weeks.
It is a real relief for all the professionals of the sector: the cinemas will find their audience on May 19 after 200 days of closure.
But this reopening will not be done without conditions.
And many distributors already want to broadcast films that have been dormant for six months.
Here is what you need to know about the reopening of dark rooms.
A strict health protocol
The reopening of cinemas does not mean the disappearance of the coronavirus.
The government has therefore provided binding measures for cultural establishments.
During the second stage of this progressive deconfinement, on May 19, cinemas will be able to reopen until 9 p.m. and only one in three seats will have to be occupied.
Good news for the 7 pm work-out session, which is therefore saved.
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During the third stage, on June 9, there will be only one seat gap between each person.
Finally, the cinemas will operate almost normally: the curfew will be pushed back to 11 p.m., only the last screening at 10 p.m. will still not be reinstated.
A traffic jam to be expected
All the films already released, whose theatrical career had been brutally stopped by confinement, are back. This concerns, among other things,
Farewell to the idiots
by Albert Dupontel, who has since been multiple césarized,
DNA
by Maïwenn,
Boy Chiffon
by Nicolas Maury or even the Canadian film
Drunk
, recently awarded an Oscar.
New releases are added to all these films.
On the French side, there is notably the feel good movie
Envole Moi
, carried by Gerard Lanvin and Victor Belmondo, but also the zany comedy
Mandibules
by Quentin Dupieux with the duo of Palmashow.
For foreign films, the Disney
Cruella
starring Emma Stone and the highly anticipated
Promising Young Woman
will be released on May 26.
A situation worthy of a puzzle for film professionals but pleasant for the public, who will be spoiled for choice.
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Deliverance for theaters
After more than six months of closure, the time has come for relief for all professionals in the sector.
"A real happiness" for Richard Patry, the leader of the national federation of French cinemas, who thinks in particular of "15,000 employees of cinemas who have felt totally useless for six months".
"The restaurants had at least the take-away sale, we had nothing," he continues at the microphone of Europe 1.
This reopening is "capital" for the sector.
"The films will be able to find their natural setting in the cinema room and, above all, the spectators will be able to leave their small screens to come and discover a big film in the cinema," concludes the leader of the national federation of French cinemas.