Threatened with closure, the Parisian associative cinema La Clef bought by its support collective

After more than five years of combat, punctuated by occupations, political standoffs and other petitions, the collective “La Clef Revival” succeeded in saving the most alternative cinema in Paris.

“We succeeded, the Key is saved.” The collective “La Clef Revival” announced on Wednesday June 19 that it had signed the purchase of the last associative cinema in Paris, threatened for years with closure, for a total of 2.7 million euros. The deed of sale to the Savings Bank was concluded on Monday, the collective revealed on Wednesday during a press conference.

“It is our endowment fund, Cinema Revival, which will own the building, precise the collective press release. Its mission is to guarantee that La Clef remains forever an associative and independent cinema, protected from speculative appetites and freely administered by its [usagers]”.

“It’s almost hard to believe it, it’s been such a long journey.” continues the collective. This redemption isculmination of a six-year series, for one of the rare alternative and independent cultural places to survive in the heart of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, until now held by the Social and Economic Council (CSE) of the Caisse d’ Savings Ile-de-France.

Away from the major circuits, La Clef has carved out a special place for itself by offering visibility to African, Asian or South American filmmakers rarely programmed elsewhere. And intends to remain an activist cinema, unlike any other, “place for showing rare films”.

Those “whoever wishes can join the collective [d’usagers]learn how to organize a screening and propose a film”, promise the buyers, who have concluded an agreement with the CNC (National Center for Cinema and Animated Images) to legalize their practice, unusual in the world of cinema, of free price screenings.

This complex arrangement is inspired by the cooperative economy, with a specialized land company and two colleges of administrators. It must allow “sustainably remove the La Clef cinema from the real estate market” and ensure its long-term independence.

Occupations, political standoffs, petitions: the mobilization of the friends of La Clef, who were able to unite the elite of French auteur cinema around them, ended up paying off. Former employees of the theater, surrounded by moviegoers, led the charge, refusing the sale and ending up occupying the premises. Their mobilization ultimately triumphed over internal dissensions, confinements, expulsion by the police and court summons.

“La Clef will be a place to share ideas, films and fights, where to constantly renew the links between works and present times, cinema and politics”, underlines the collective in its press release. “We can’t wait to reopen the doors soon, so that the collective imagination can rush in!”