Grand Point-Virgule

The Rytmann chain was the last independent chain running major movie theatres on the left bank of Paris and they had to create new screens in 1972 at the beginning of the multiplex era.

It was decided to open two new screens on the ground floor of a new building in front of the newly built Montparnasse tower & Rive Gauche shopping centre (which replaced the old historic railway station building).

The architecture was very 1970’s, and one had stadium seating for 190, the other one had 370-seats in orchestra & balcony.

The projection booths were apart and Cinemeccanica rock and roll equipment (entirely automatic) was installed (one of the first in Paris).

The Bienvenue Montparnasse opened in 1972 with Ingmar Bergman’s “Cris et chuchotements” (Cries and Whispers) starring Harriet Andersson & Liv Ullmann. It was a first run theatre, the first years were successful but the location was in the shadow of the tower where nobody walked.

The Bienvenue Montparnasse is now considered old fashioned but is still operating, now with a program policy of art movies. From 2005 it has been renamed Le Grand Point-Virgule and concentrated more on live performances.