In La Villette, the Geode celebrates its 30 years In La Villette, the Geode celebrates its 30 years The Géode celebrates its 30 years with a film festival
Located at the centre of the La Villette park, the famous Géode cinema celebrates its 30th birthday with a film festival until the 5th of July. A great opportunity to also celebrate the thirty years of the area.
30 years of "seamless" documentaries
It almost got called Bouboule, Irma or Minouchette and it is celebrating its 30 years of existence. Who? The Géode of course! Located in the centre of the La Villette park, this sphere of 36 m of diameter shelters an unusual cinema.
In the IMAX room of the Géode, documentaries and shows are projected on a semi-circular 180° screen. The unusual dimensions enticed the production of custom-made films. A real "seamless documentary cinema", according to director Laurent Donday.
An iconic building, a symbol of renewal for the neighbourhood
With its 6,333 equilateral polished steel triangles, the Géode is like a mirror for the whole neighbourhood. It represents the new Villette wished by Valery Giscard d'Estaing and François Mitterand. From 1867 to 1974, the northern part of the 19th district of Paris hosted an immense area made of slaughterhouses.
Not until 1985, with the opening of a cinema of a new kind, did the area gradually become the cultural hub we now know. Located next to the Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, the Géode symbolises the evolution of Northern Paris.
Classics and new films for the celebration
The audience likes this unusual place. In its 30 years of existence, 22 million viewers have sat in the cinema to travel back in time to meet the dinosaurs, explore the Grand Canyon or follow the migration of the butterflies. The feeling of diving into the movie, already impressive because of the size of the screen, has been augmented since 2007 and the start of the 3D screenings.
Until the 5th of July, come to the 26 avenue Corentin Cariou to discover a selection of 30 films. Among them, you will find classics that built the success of the Géode, but also exclusive films like "Secret Ocean", by Jean-Michel Cousteau.
Photo credits: © Marc Desbordes (header) / Futur en Seine (text image)