La Ciotat is indeed the capital of French cinema.
- L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat" was the first film shot by Louis Lumière in 1895.
- Michel Simon's villa is about to be restored.
- The Eden cinema is the oldest in the world
After months of renovation, the world's oldest cinema reopened its doors in October 2013.
L'Eden Théatre is a cinema located in La Ciotat, inaugurated on June 16, 1889. Listed as a Monument Historique in 1996, it is an integral part of the world's cinema heritage, and underwent restoration work from March 2007 to October 2013 under the aegis of a support committee chaired by Bertrand Tavernier.
Since February 12, 1996, L'Eden has been listed as a historic monument.
This mythical site has belonged to the town of La Ciotat since 1992. Originally, L'Eden was an auditorium that hosted variety shows, theater and concerts, as well as boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling galas.
In 1895, the Lumière brothers organized the first private cinema screening.
An itinerant craftsman set up shop with his own projector and showed films, alternating with other entertainment programs.
L'Eden's stage was home to a number of young artists who would make their debut there, including Bernard Blier, Fernandel and Yves Montand.
Arrival of a train at La Ciotat station
La Ciotat is the city of cinema for two reasons: its cinema, L'Eden, and the famous film "L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat" (The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station), the first French film, directed by Louis Lumière in 1895 and premiered in January 1896.
The film, which lasts around 50 seconds, shows a train arriving at La Ciotat station, a town where the Lumière family owned a residence, which explains why they chose this station rather than another.
Closed for lack of security, the Eden was restored to its former role as an "Art et Essai" cinema after major renovations.
Michel Simon's villa to become a place of remembrance
Michel Simon bought this bastide, enlarged it to accommodate a cinema and a janitor's apartment, and came to spend more and more time here from 1946 to 1975, also bringing Henri Langlois.
The house was bought by the town of La Ciotat in 1996, and the Friends of Michel Simon association became its guardians. It was
2013 saw the rebirth of l'Eden, restored to its original 1889 condition, at the initiative of Mayor Patrick Boré.
In July 2021, Eden enters the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest active cinema.
Eden Théâtre
Boulevard Georges Clémenceau,
13600 La Ciotat
http://edencinemalaciotat.com/
