Following in George Clooney's footsteps is not for everyone. And yet, almost 2,300 people have registered to reproduce the journey of the Hollywood star carried out on Thursday November 7 in the evening in the new Brignoles cinema. The next day and Saturday 9, visitors follow one another in the Liberté, for a guided discovery of the place, with stars in their eyes.
For Daniel Taillandier, director of the Cinéwest network which operates the cinema, the eagerness of the Brignolais (and others) is a “crazy success”: “We added visiting hours because everything was full.” But why rush to an empty cinema?
“We are curious, we come to see what they have done here”say Catherina and Christine, who wait before starting the visit. The latter specifies: “I was going downstairs, to the Image Box. But here, it's still something else. Just the hall is beautiful, without necessarily being gigantic. We can't wait to see what happens next.” Further on, Julie and Loïc explain that they wanted to discover the new complex: “We come to see the cinema, the theaters, ask for information on technologies, prices… We plan to come and see films, that’s for sure.”
When the time to begin the visit finally arrives, the curious, in groups of around 80, finally take advantage of the seats in the first room visited, out of three in all. On the program: presentation of the operating group, discovery of the installations, but also screening of trailers and technical demonstrations. And at the exit, the impression is unanimous: “It's beautiful!”
“Quality of sound, image…”
While Nadia and Assya admit to having already reserved a place, Marianne, Jessie and Pako are already imagining future outings in Brignoles: “Finally a good cinema here! It's good for the city, we can already imagine ourselves on the restaurant terraces.” We will have to wait, because not the shadow of a sign has yet taken over the neighboring windows. Nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the group: “The quality of the image, the sound… It’s great.”
A final word for Claude and Michèle, regulars at the old Brignoles cinema: “When we went there, it was practically empty. There, it's great, comfortable. Grandiose even.”
Just that.
“A lot of waiting around the cinema” according to Pierre Leroy, director of the new Liberté cinema
Between a phone call to turn on the giant screen that sits on the front of the cinema, a delivery of equipment, questions galore and answers to be found, Pierre Leroy has lived these last few days like running a marathon. And on Sunday November 10, the Liberté team that he leads is preparing to welcome its first spectators. Quick update before the curtain rises.
Tell us about this rather special inauguration.
How can you not be happy, dreamy, proud, of the spontaneous and unexpected arrival of Mr. George Clooney. This inauguration, Thursday evening, went perfectly. George Clooney is a very simple, accessible, pleasant man. It was a beautiful moment of sharing.
And now, how are these last moments before the official opening?
The last few days, there's a lot of information arriving at the minute, the phone ringing all the time, and us, the team, getting ready to press the “on” button on the cinema. And at the same time, we have requests, like schools who want to prepare for Christmas outings…
This reflects a great deal of expectation.
There is a lot of waiting around the cinema, that’s clear. And at the same time, the public must be forgiving, we are still at the very beginning.
What remains to be done?
Everything remains to be done. Create the atmosphere, the functioning. Details too, which will be adjusted gradually, such as adjusting the air conditioning, the cash registers, the information broadcast screens, the cables here and there… We are helped by Cinéwest for the opening, but Then we'll have to get set up. For the moment, things are going well, the team is very competent, efficient, dynamic, and I enjoy working with them.
How are the first days shaping up?
In terms of reservations, we have a lot of people, undoubtedly thanks to promotional pricing, but not only that. In 24 hours, after reservations were launched on Wednesday noon, we had 250 places taken.
Is the inauguration a relief for you?
Yes, we couldn't wait. It is the festive moment which marks the end of the construction site and the start of the rest.
