In Dijon, cinemas are working to find the public despite the absence of films

Deprived of spectators for four months, the cinemas are trying to resist. In Dijon, two of them organize events to build customer loyalty and, finally, generate revenue.

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The queue is unusual in front of the Olympia cinema in Dijon. The rooms have been closed for four months, but many are waiting on the sidewalk. Many are students, others have come with their families. This Wednesday March 10, the cinema, located avenue Foch, offers a large clearance sale.

Cinema posters from 2 euros

On the program for bargain hunters for a day: sweets and several thousand movie posters, on sale from two euros. The entire cinema collection since 2008.

After a few minutes spent in the cinema hall, a cinephile made his choice: “it is the poster of a film which brings back good memories to me and which will make my little brother happy” the young man smiles.

Further, a student still hesitates: “I don’t know yet what I’m going to take, I have no idea in my head. I’ll look and see if something pleases me.”. The young woman continues: “It’s good, this kind of event, it allows us to meet new people with other people who have moved. I discovered a lot of new films that I’m going to watch when I get home.”

We do this to reconnect with our audience, explains Maude Lamotte, head of animation at the Olympia and Darcy cinemas. It’s important to show that we are still there, that there is still a working team. It also allows us to empty our stock of confectionery which expires due to the closure. ”

Zoe Du Parc, executive assistant, completes: “It’s a way of bringing the cinema back to life for a day, so that people don’t forget us. It’s nice to see a little bit of people again.”

“We open our doors so that people find their way back to the cinema”

At Eldorado, an independent cinema classified as “arthouse”, it is already the fourth Wednesday of mobilization. “We open our doors so that people find their way back to the cinema, explains on the side of 21 rue Alfred de Musset. They come to spend a moment, to meet up, to discuss movies … We are lucky because for the moment, the weather has always been nice, there, we have even taken out tables so that people can drink a tea or A coffee. ”

In addition to these moments of conviviality, the cinema also offers various sales: DVDs, film posters, screen-printed notebooks, cotton bags bearing the name of the cinema … association. “It’s important for us, but these sales are really at the margin. It is not the sinews of war and we are especially waiting to be able to reopen the theaters”.

The public is also waiting.

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