To all film-loving Marseillais who dream of seeing their city become the Mediterranean capital, get ready to spend every weekend in the Crottes district!
Marseille, Mediterranean film capital in 2026?
With the arrival of the Cinémathèque française in our wonderful southern city, this is now a very real promise! This temple of culture will open a branch in the city of Marseille in 2026, and it’s a project that’s already got all seventh-art lovers salivating! It’s not just a copy-paste from Paris, but a real Marseille adaptation, as Peggy Hannon, deputy director of the Cinémathèque française, explains. The aim is to capitalize on the Cinémathèque’s Parisian know-how, while creating a unique program that breathes the air of the South.
A lively cinema for all Marseillais!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VifNG9c7c04
Marseilles is thus offered exceptional programming: nearly 600 screenings a year, a temporary exhibition space andeducationalworkshops to introduce the very young to the art of cinema. It’s a real cultural springboard in the heart of the city. And as if that weren’t enough, to play its part in preserving the city’s cinematographic heritage, the Cinémathèque will also be restoring emblematic films (particularly from Marseilles). After Paul Carpita’s “Le Rendez-vous des quais”, Marcel Pagnol’s“Marius” is now being restored. It’s the perfect way to breathe new life into the classics that have marked Marseille’s history! And we can’t wait to see the results!
A place steeped in Marseille’s history
The Cinémathèque will take up residence in the Crottes district (one of Marseille’s strangest neighborhood names, we agree), famous for having seen the talented Yves Montand grow up. The Cinémathèque promises to fuse culture, local history and a love of cinema to offer Marseille’s film buffs a totally new experience.
The ambition? To make Marseille the film capital of the Mediterranean, a project supported by the French government as part of the “Marseille en grand”plan launched by Emmanuel Macron. And the least we can say is that the city seems ready to take up the challenge!
So, are you ready to see this new project come to life in your city?