What will become of the arthouse cinema La Clef? Institution of the Latin Quarter since the 1970s, this two-room cinema is suspended from possible eviction, its walls having been put up for sale in 2018 by its owner, the Caisses d’Epargne Works Council. A buyer, the SOS group, is ready to put several million euros for this temple of the 7th art, but the transaction is blocked because the walls have been occupied for months by activists, who were asking for a preemption from the town hall of Paris and remain convinced that the activity of the place is threatened.
These days, the situation is more uncertain than ever: after several court decisions, the administrative court “ordered the State to issue the assistance of the public force“to put an end to the occupation of the cinema located 21 rue de la Clef – 34 rue Daubenton in the 5th arrondissement, it was explained on Tuesday on the side of the Ministry of Culture, which says it is following this file carefully.
Supported by dozens of personalities from culture and the 7th art, from Mathieu Amalric to Annie Ernaux via Agnès Jaoui, Leos Carax and Jonathan Cohen, the collective of activists refuses to return the keys to the places, considering that they have “no legal guarantee“on the continuation of cinema activity, and denouncing a recovery”by a billionaire group whose neoliberal practices are gradually undermining the voluntary sector“.
The SOS group, one of the largest associations in the social and solidarity economy (21,000 employees), present in employment, seniors, youth or even culture, denounces a trial of intent and explains that it always wants take over the premises, pledging to preserve the arthouse cinema activity. He put 4.2 million euros on the table and believes that his offer is the only credible one to save this cinema located in a district plagued by real estate speculation.
For its part, the ministry specifies that the Paris City Hall, very committed to the file, has “made several proposals, including a very recent one, aimed in particular at hosting the activity of the occupants in another place“.