Farewell to 11×20+14, the smallest cinema in Île-de-France and a unique cinephile adventure

This fifty-seat cinema, located in Mons-en-Montois in Seine-et-Marne, has just closed for good following the death on November 14 of Michel Le Clerc, the passionate film buff who opened it in 2001.

Lhe 11×20+14 (yes yes, that’s its name), the smallest cinema in Île-de-France with a capacity of fifty seats, has definitively closed its doors, carried away by the last breath of its founder, Michel Le Clerc, who died on November 14 at the age of 94. The place has long been the pride of Mons-en-Montois, a small town of four hundred and seventy inhabitants in the south-east of Seine-et-Marne. The 11×20+14 was the project of seasoned film buff Michel Le Clerc, who launched it more than twenty years ago, in an old farmhouse in the village. A very small room in its own right, attached to the stained glass workshop of his partner, Évelyne, a former stained glass artist.

But why this twisted name? A year ago, the creator explained his reasoning with an equation that was strange to say the least: “On April 21, 1430, Joan of Arc came to chase away the Anglo-Burgundians, who had locked two hundred and thirty-four men in the village church to kill them. Hence 11×20+14 = 234.” A place steeped in history, which the owner wanted to share with the public. A former filmmaker and journalist, he has notably directed and produced more than seventy reports for TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3.

In 1981, Michel Le Clerc founded the 11×20+14 association in this farmhouse in Mons-en-Montois. He divides his time between filming and restoring stained glass windows for certain churches in the region, alongside his wife, who offers workshops open to the public. In 1987, he devoted himself fully to the project and on March 14, 2001, after more than ten years of work, the cinema with around fifty red seats opened its doors.

The place quickly obtained the Arthouse classification, the preferred domain of the film buff and a hundred other faithful who sometimes came from far away to attend the screenings – up to six per week. The slogan of its owner with a strong character: “No ads, no popcorn. Films, real ones.” As this enthusiast hates being late, the film always starts on time and the spectators, for their part, have an interest in arriving early. Allow nine euros per place for the classic rate and four for subscribers.

Succession of difficulties

From 2017, however, micro-cinema began to encounter difficulties. With the elimination of more than seventy-seven thousand contracts aided by the government, Michel Le Clerc is no longer able to pay his projectionist, Benoît, another lover of cinema whom he employed thanks to this precious aid from the State . If he agrees to continue working voluntarily, the arrival of the pandemic worsens the financial situation of 11×20+14, which found itself without spectators for many months. To support their favorite cinema in the face of falling attendance, regulars are launching a fundraiser in 2020 to raise nearly 13,000 euros. A great effort of solidarity unfortunately insufficient to guarantee the sustainability of the place. The management and maintenance of the cinema then becomes difficult for its founder, over 90 years old, and now alone, since Benoît’s retirement. Bruno Demaegdt, mayor of Mons-en-Montois, remembers: “Michel had a strong character. He was quite authoritarian, he didn’t want to delegate. Since Covid and with old age, he has been forced to stop his activity. »

Today, for the elected official, the idea of ​​reopening the cinema seems perilous: “It is impossible for the municipality to consider a buyout, because the barn is private property which still belongs to Michel’s wife, currently under guardianship. But, above all, because the work to be undertaken to bring the room up to standard would represent a real financial drain and the use of at least 50% of our annual budget. » And the community of municipalities to which the village is attached has already financed the rehabilitation of the Bray-sur-Seine cinema, for a budget of around one million euros of work. “Michel knew full well that we had no more means to help him, adds Bruno Demaegdt. He benefited from an annual subsidy from us of around 500 euros, which then allowed him to receive aid from the CNC and the departmental council, but he never asked us for more. »

If the future of this legendary place therefore remains uncertain, the village will long remember the involvement and passion of the film buff, who was elevated to the rank of Knight of the National Order of Merit in 2017, on the lawn adjoining its small cinema, in the presence of a large number of elected officials, members and friends. “This cinema was his life, concludes the mayor. But even with all the goodwill in the world, money is needed. Michel committed himself body and soul to the survival of this place, to the detriment of his finances and his health. Until the end. »