Cinéma Le Castillet

Cinéma Le Castillet is a historic movie theatre located at 1 boulevard Wilson in Perpignan, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department of France. It was founded in 1911 by Jean Font, a Barcelona-born cinema operator who had previously run a cinema complex in Barcelona and had considered Marseille and Montpellier before choosing Perpignan. The cinema has remained in the Font family since the early 20th century and is often described as the oldest cinema in France still in operation. Its façades and roofs were listed as monuments historiques in 1997, and it also received the "Patrimoine du XXe siècle" label as a 20th-century construction. The cinema opened on 7 November 1911 with a programme involving local artists, critics and the municipality, held for humanitarian benefit. At the time films were still silent, and the cinema employed an orchestra to accompany screenings. The building's architecture, designed with the participation of Eugène Montès and Alexandre Guènot, was poorly received by residents, the municipality and the press, but the opening evening itself was well received. During the First World War the cinema was closed for several months before reopening on 6 March 1915 under conditions imposed by the mayor, including opening only three days a week and donating 25% of profits to charitable works; normal activity resumed on 21 December 1915. In 1918 the cinema was enlarged following an inspection of communal works. After the war the Castillet prospered, offering a varied programme of serial films, operettas, theatre troupes and music-hall stars. In 1922 Jean Font organised open-air screenings of the cinema's main films, initially free and later at a single price of one franc. In 1929 he installed sound equipment at the "Nouveau Théâtre", and in 1930 the first sound film screening in Perpignan took place there. Sound cinema was then installed at the Castillet, which held a second inauguration on 24 October 1930 with the film "Ombres Blanches". Today Cinéma Le Castillet operates as a cinema in Perpignan, listed on the Cine Movida cinema network website. It remains a privately owned, family-run establishment and a landmark of early 20th-century cinema architecture in France.

Cinema in the Pyrénées-Orientales dates back to 1898, when travelling showmen and various kinds of cinématographe appeared in the region. These gradually disappeared because of conditions imposed later by the Lumière brothers, which favoured permanent cinema venues. The first two cinemas in Perpignan, Le Castillet and L'Apollo, were created in 1911. L'Apollo has since disappeared, and Le Castillet can today claim the title of the oldest cinema in France still in operation. Its façades and roofs were listed as monuments historiques in 1997, and as a 20th-century construction it also received the "Patrimoine du XXe siècle" label. Le Castillet, at 1 boulevard Wilson, has belonged to the Font family since the beginning of the 20th century. Jean Font fell into cinema very young after seeing a performance by the Lumière brothers in person. Originally from Barcelona and head of a cinema complex there, he wanted to open a new cinema in France. After visiting Marseille and Montpellier, he decided on the return journey to install his cinema in Perpignan after discovering the site of what would become the Castillet. After consulting his father, Jean Font returned to Perpignan and bought the building from François Sacase. Jean Font called on Eugène Montès to restore the façade and for the plans, with the participation of Alexandre Guènot. The architecture was very poorly received by residents, the municipality and journalistic critics. On 11 November, Albert Bausil wrote: "Was it so necessary to remind us, on the threshold of the frivolities of the fair, that we are only dust, by erecting this macabre cenotaph? One may write on it: 'Cinéma Castillet', but we will not be fooled. These narrow little windows, this tomb door, this stepped crowning, these two funereal pylons... all this necropolitan architecture cannot leave anyone under any illusion." The cinema was inaugurated on 7 November 1911, with local artists, critics and the municipality taking part. The evening, unlike the architecture, was very well received, particularly because it was for a humanitarian purpose (for Le Liberté, which had exploded in the roads near Toulon). In 1911 the cinema was still silent, and it had an orchestra to animate the screenings. To repay the debt from the construction costs, Jean Font offered performances outside Perpignan at the Castillet, and also in surrounding villages where people were interested in cinema, which was in the air at the time. In 1914, with France entering the war, cinemas were closed to show popular support. But the war lasted, and the closure led to financial difficulties after a month for most venues, including the Castillet. It was only on 6 March 1915 that the cinema reopened, financially indebted from the previous six months of closure. The decision belonged to the mayor of the time, Denis Joseph, who accepted the reopening but under certain conditions, notably opening only three days a week and paying 25% of its profits to charitable works (the poor, war wounded, and the bureau des bienfaisances). It was only on 21 December 1915 that the cinema could resume normal activity and show as many films and screenings as it wished. In 1918 the cinema underwent enlargement works following an inspection of communal works at the request of the mayor. Relations with the municipality and Jean Font remained very complicated until the end of the war, when Jean Font, tired of the situation, decided to stop paying the taxes the town hall imposed on him to stay open. A stormy relationship that may have stemmed from a fairly little-known phenomenon of the era: racism towards Spaniards. The post-war cinema prospered, as the population sought distraction. For the Castillet this was notably through the diversity of its regularly updated programme, with serial films (which met with great success), but also small operettas or theatre troupes such as the Baret tours, and even music-hall stars. In 1922 Jean Font organised open-air cinema screenings with the main films of the Castillet; access was either via rue de la Poste or the promenade des Platanes. At first entry was free and met with huge success, but J. Font was forced to introduce a single price of 1 franc, which did not affect this open-air cinema. At the "Nouveau Théâtre" he installed equipment for talking cinema in 1929. In September, Jean Font had himself registered on the list of the syndicat cinématographique de France. The aim of developing sound at the "Nouveau Théâtre" rather than at the Castillet, according to Jean Font, was to develop the cinema's activity and not the theatre's. In 1930, the first sound film screening in Perpignan took place at the "Nouveau Théâtre". The local press reported the triumph of that evening. The public began to enjoy talking cinema, and the "Nouveau Théâtre" could not accommodate everyone, so Jean Font installed sound cinema at the Castillet. There was a second inauguration on 24 October 1930. The film shown was "Ombres Blanches". All official Perpignan was invited, including his wife, his son Louis and his daughter-in-law; they organised a buffet for the interval.

• 1997

  The façades and roofs are listed as monuments historiques; the building also receives the "Patrimoine du XXe siècle" label.

• 1930

  The first sound film screening in Perpignan takes place at the "Nouveau Théâtre"; sound cinema is installed at the Castillet, with a second inauguration on 24 October showing "Ombres Blanches".

• 1929

  Sound equipment is installed at the "Nouveau Théâtre"; Jean Font registers with the syndicat cinématographique de France.

• 1922

  Jean Font organises open-air cinema screenings with the main films of the Castillet.

• 1918

  Enlargement works are carried out following an inspection of communal works.

• 1915

  The cinema reopens on 6 March under conditions imposed by the mayor; normal activity resumes on 21 December.

• 1911

  Le Castillet and L'Apollo, the first two cinemas in Perpignan, are created.

• 1911

  Cinéma Le Castillet is inaugurated on 7 November.

• 1898

  Cinema appears in the Pyrénées-Orientales with travelling showmen and various cinématographes.

Historic, family-owned cinema and one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in France.

• Silent film screenings with orchestra

• Serial films

• Operettas and theatre troupes

• Music-hall performances

• Open-air screenings

• Sound film screenings

1. 1Cinéma Le Castilletwikidata.org
2. 2Le Castilletfr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Cinéma Le Castillet on Cine Movidacine-movida.com