The National Council have requested that the Beaux-Arts cinema receives a makeover, during a meeting on 6 December. Housed in the Princess Grace Theatre since 2014, Monaco’s only cinema is operating in “degraded conditions”, according to Thomas Brezzo, president of the National Council. A state subsidy of over €50,000 has been requested from the National Council to the Princely Government.
In 1930, the Société des Bains de Mer planned to build a cinema and a theatre under one roof. The plans were established by architect Bosio and the decoration was conceived by Muratore. The Princess Grace Theatre was inaugurated in February 1932. Fast-forward to 2014, when the construction of the One Monte-Carlo caused the Beaux-Arts cinema to be rehoused at the Princesse-Grace Theatre.
The cinema has two rooms: Salle 1 with 200 seats (plus 4 handicapped places) and Salle 2 with 56 seats (plus 2 handicapped places). Both rooms have 3d capabilities. The old facilities, however, had three theatres and 800 seats, more than double its current capacity.
The relocation of the Beaux-Arts cinema was supposed to be temporary and last from 2014-2017. But over a decade has passed since the relocation, with no end in sight. The only foreseeable option for the cinema is via the Fontvieille shopping centre restructuring project. A brand new cinema with several screens is planned, but it will only be completed in 2029 at the very earliest. This means that revamping the current premises seems to be the best option for the survival of the cinema.
According to the National Council meeting, cinema-goers suffered this summer when there was no air conditioning and the rooms were 38°C. Advertising is not allowed, which affects revenue. Thomas Brezzo deems the cinema an essential cultural service for Monaco.
Every year since the pandemic, cinema attendance has been steadily increasing. At the end of January, the much-anticipated Bob Dylan biopic, ‘Complete Unknown’ is due to hit the Beaux-Arts cinema. Starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, the film is expected to draw large numbers of folk music fans. With the National Council’s recent enthusiasm about the cinema, perhaps even more people will consider going to out for a movie at the yet-to-be-revamped Beaux-Arts cinema.
