This summer, the story of Chanel and cinema entered a new chapter with the reopening of Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a landmark Parisian movie theatre on the city’s Left Bank. Backed by Chanel as lead partner, the revival reflects the House’s long-standing commitment to filmmaking, artistic freedom, and cultural heritage.
Located at 22 Rue Guillaume-Apollinaire in Paris’s 6th arrondissement, the 208-seat venue reopened with a gala screening of Fatherland, the latest feature by acclaimed director Paweł Pawlikowski.
A historic Parisian movie theatre returns to the screen
Since opening in 1969, Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés has held a special place in French film culture. Over the years, it became associated with influential filmmakers including François Truffaut, Éric Rohmer, and Costa-Gavras.
After more than a decade without regular public programming, the cinema has been revived through a partnership between Chanel, Les Films du Losange, and a group of cultural investors. Interior designer Fabrizio Casiraghi refreshed the venue with Art Deco furnishings, vintage artworks, and a hidden speakeasy concealed behind a retractable screen.
The goal reaches beyond preservation: to revive a lively gathering place for cinephiles, filmmakers, and emerging creative talent.
A commitment beyond the screen
The project naturally extends Chanel’s deep connection to film. Since the era of Gabrielle Chanel, who collaborated with Hollywood productions in the early 1930s, the House has maintained close ties to cinema through costume design, production support, restoration initiatives, and partnerships with festivals and cultural institutions.
Today, Chanel continues to champion both established and emerging filmmakers while helping safeguard cinematic heritage. The reopening of Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés highlights a broader commitment—not only to films themselves, but also to the spaces where audiences experience them.
As Bruno Pavlovsky noted, supporting the venue is an act of cultural stewardship, preserving a vital part of French artistic history while creating opportunities for future generations.
A cultural hub for contemporary and classic cinema
Under the direction of Mathilde Lamour, the programme blends new releases, classics, retrospectives, festival screenings, and conversations with filmmakers, actors, and writers.
Opening week reflected that vision, featuring recent Cannes selections alongside a screening of Roma Elastica introduced by filmmaker Bertrand Mandico and actress Marion Cotillard, a longtime Chanel ambassador.
More than a cinema, Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés aims to foster dialogue, discovery, and cultural exchange—experiences that remain difficult to replicate on a screen at home.
Why this project matters
The return of Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés comes at a crucial moment for independent cinemas. Rising costs and changing viewing habits have placed arthouse venues under growing pressure, making the revival of this historic address especially meaningful.
For Chanel, the project reinforces a philosophy that has guided its relationship with film for nearly a century: supporting creative expression wherever it thrives. Through collaborations with filmmakers, preservation efforts, and investment in cultural institutions, the House continues to champion cinema as one of the defining artistic languages of our time.
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Photography by MATTEO VERZINI
Courtesy of FABRIZIO CASIRAGHI
