Cinema La Clef

Located on the south side of the River Seine (Left Bank) in the centre of the city, at the corner of rue Daubenton and rue de la Clef. The 3-screen La Clef was opened sometime in 1973, when its address was 21-27 rue de la Clef. It had a name change to Images d'Ailleurs before it was closed in 1981.

In 1990 it re-opened as Cinema La Clef, at first specializing in Black culture films. Seating in this 3-screen art house cinema is provided for 200 in the main auditorium, 75 in the basement auditorium, and seating capacity in the third auditorium is not known at present.

The Cinema La Clef was closed in 2018. It became a club, and from 20th September 2019 it began daily film screenings, operated by volunteer activists trying to keep the cinema open by squatting in the building. They were evicted from the building on March 1, 2022. The building was put up ‘For Sale’ and the volunteer activists were hoping to raise enough money to buy it. The Cinema Le Clef was saved by a generous donation from film director Quentin Tarantino and other fundraisers including film director David Lynch and the cinema was purchased in June 2024. It reopened on 27th June 2024 with Agnes Varda’s “Cleo from 5 to 7” (aka “Cleo de 5 a 7”) starring Corinne Marchand as a celebration of success in the 5 years battle to save the cinema. It closed on 30th June 2024 and will be closed for a year for refurbishment.

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