Opened in 1998 by Catherine Deneuve, Ciné lumière quickly established itself as one of London's top repertory cinemas, an independent showcase for the best historical and contemporary cinema from around the world. By 2008 its programme had expanded to over 800 screenings a year. Now, after a six-month closure for refurbishment, Ciné lumière reopened with a bumper programme of films and events, and was delighted to welcome its patron, Catherine Deneuve, for the official inauguration on 9 January.

The work at Ciné lumière, begun in July 2008 and due for completion in December, improved the cinema-going experience for the general public, reinstated the integrity of the art deco interior, and opened the cinema to disabled audiences for the first time. Roughly 30% of the budget for the £800,000 renovation has been provided by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the remaining 70% by individual and corporate donors solicited as part of a fund-raising campaign led by Laurence Auer, Director of the Institut français (the French Cultural Institute) to which the cinema is attached.

The sponsors of the renovation

Ciné lumière reopened in January 2009 with three days of previews where the choice of film – two prestigious arthouse titles (A Christmas Tale; The Class) and one popular French hit (Paris 36) – demonstrates the cinema's commitment to showcasing the best of French cinema from across the spectrum. The preview of A Christmas Tale has been attended by Catherine Deneuve and director Arnaud Desplechin, that of Paris 36 by director Christophe Barratier and actors Gérard Jugnot and Nora Arnezeder.

The celebrations continued well into March, with a special visit from veteran French director Claude Lelouch to mark the exclusive UK release of his new thriller Crossed Tracks at the cinema, a season of New Wave films opened by iconic French actress Bernadette Lafont (Le Beau Serge, La Maman et la putain), and a Francophone film noir all-nighter.

About Ciné lumière

Ciné lumière is one of the best places in London to see movies,
from classic revivals to emerging new talents...

Stephen Frears



I love French cinema. There's nothing better than watching a classic movie at the French Institute
and discussing it over almond croissant and coffee, or a glass of nice red wine.

Irvine Welsh


Ciné lumière occupies a unique position in the cinematic landscape of the British capital. Independently programmed and unaffiliated with any chain, Ciné lumière is one of the few London screens devoted exclusively to new and classic specialised film. With a particular emphasis on French, European and World cinema, its programme combines new releases; repertory screenings; previews; premieres; and exclusive on-stage events and discussions. It is also an important London venue for a variety of film festivals, including the London Children's Film Festival, the London Film Festival and the French Film Festival UK.

See pictures of the newly-refurbished Cinema

Ciné lumière enjoys a well-earned reputation as one of the best places in London to see French film.Thanks to this reputation, it is able to attract some of France's top acting and directing talent for on-stage debates and masterclasses; recent guests include François Ozon , Bertrand Tavernier, Patrice Chereau, Agnès Varda, Claire Denis, Christophe Honoré, Romain Duris, Sophie Marceau, Mathieu Amalric, Fanny Ardant, Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. It is also the cinema of choice for UK distributors previewing new French releases: Angel, Gabrielle, Heading South, Les Chansons d'amour, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Couscous, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, La vie en rose, Female Agents and more have all previewed at Ciné lumière in recent years.

The cinema screens all the best new French releases, but is also known for its carefully curated seasons of classic French cinema on particular themes (Paris at the Movies, French avant-garde cinema of the 20s and 30s, French cinema under the Occupation) or devoted to particular actors or directors (Truffaut, Godard, Claire Denis, Jacques Demy). Ciné lumière also champions the work of directors such as Marguerite Duras and Alain Robbe-Grillet whose films are rarely shown on London screens, and regularly organises special screenings of new French films without UK distribution deals.

Though its programming naturally reflects a French and Francophone bias, Ciné lumière also supports European and World cinema, and is part of the Europa Cinemas Network. It works with a variety of outside partners, especially other European cultural institutes in London, on seasons celebrating other national cinemas (Armenian, German, Romanian), or retrospectives of non-French actors and directors such as Pier-Paolo Pasolini, Werner Herzog, and Marcello Mastroianni.

In recent years the cinema has welcomed such distinguished guests as Francesco Rosi, Abbas Kiarostami, Julian Schnabel, Alexi Gherman, Otar Iosseliani and Pedro Costa; its spring Mosaïques Festival of World Culture and the London Spanish Film Festival in September have become popular annual events and are especially significant in that they give screen space to films which would not otherwise be shown in the UK. The cinema is also committed to fostering cross-cultural exchange in other ways, for example by bringing screenwriters and directors over from France to meet students from London film schools.

About the Renovation

With its French ambiance, elegant marble foyer and art deco auditorium, Cine lumière has always been a distinctive venue; now, following major renovation work it will also count among the capital's most state-of-the-art cinemas.

The work on the cinema has been led by Stefanie Fischer of Burrell Foley Fischer LLP Architects and Urban Designers, the team behind Norwich Cinema City (completed 2007), Nottingham's Broadway Media Centre (final phase completed 2007), Kino Hawkhurst (England's first all-digital cinema), Harbour Lights Southampton (completed 1995) and the Picture House Exeter (completed 1997).The work at Ciné lumière, begun in July 2008 and due for completion in December, will improve the cinema-going experience for the general public, reinstate the integrity of the cinema's art deco interior, and open the cinema to disabled audiences for the first time.

Ciné lumière will be fitted with a digital projector, in addition to the existing 35mm and 16mm projectors, and the projection booth re-designed to enable the projectors to be positioned more centrally to the screen, to avoid image distortion. New and more comfortable seating will be installed; modifications to the screen will give clear slightlines from all seating positions; new high acoustic performance doors and window glazing will prevent noise intrusion and noise break-out

from the auditorium. A new platform lift (part-financed by a grant from the UK Film Council) will provide access to the cinema for disabled audiences; a new disabled toilet will be installed, and the auditorium's new floor plan will allow for a choice of seating positions for wheelchair users. And finally, the stage at the front of the auditorium will be reduced in depth so that the art deco windows closest to the stage, previously covered over, can be revealed, thereby reinstating the original architectural integrity of the room.

Roughly 30% of the budget for the £800,000 renovation has been provided by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the remaining 70% by individual and corporate donors solicited as part of a fund-raising campaign.About the Re-opening When it reopens in January, Ciné lumière will continue to showcase the best historical and contemporary film from around the world, and will retain its mix of new releases, repertory screenings, previews, workshops and masterclasses.

From its newly-developed site, Ciné lumière hopes to attract more people and, with a new outreach project, to bring new audiences into the cinema. There will be more screenings, and the programme will expand to include high-definition broadcasts of live events.Ciné lumière reopens on 9 January with a gala preview of A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noël, 2008, New Wave) – a critical and commercial hit in France, featuring outstanding performances by some of the country's top acting talent – attended by the director Arnaud Desplechin (Kings and Queen) and legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve. The following day, 10 January, the cinema will welcome director Christophe Barratier (Les Choristes) and actors Gérard Jugnot and Nora Arnezeder for a preview of their new film, the charming musical comedy Paris 36 (Faubourg 36, 2008, Pathé UK). A preview on 15 January of The Class (Entre les murs, 2008, Artificial Eye), triumphant winner of this year's Palme d'Or at Cannes, will complete the re-opening celebrations. All three films will then screen on new release at the cinema between January and March 2009; the release of Paris 36 will be exclusive to Ciné lumière.

On 13 February, veteran French director Claude Lelouch will travel to London to introduce the opening-night screening of an exclusive two-week run of his new film Roman de Gare, a deceptively layered and intriguingly misleading thriller starring Fanny Ardant and Dominique Pinon. Sunday matinees in the cinema's popular 'Sunday French Classics' series and repertory screenings programmed around the visits of Lelouch and Deneuve, will give London audiences a chance to catch classics like Tristana (dir. Luis Buñuel, 1970), L'Amour fou (dir. Jacques Rivette, 1969) Le Carosse d'or (dir. Jean Renoir, 1953), Un homme et une femme (dir. Claude Lelouch, 1966) and La guerre est finie (dir. Alain Resnais, 1966) on the big screen. In March, actress Bernadette Lafont (Le Beau Serge, La Maman et la putain) will open 'Nouvelle Vague: 50 Years On', a two-week programme of screenings and conferences assessing the legacy of the New Wave; in a separate event on 20 March the cinema will stay open for a Francophone film noir all-nighter.

Re-opening events in collaboration with Unifrance.

About the renovation work