After a controversial closure, years of occupation, and a fundraising campaign that seemed hopeless, the collective of the iconic art-house cinema in the Latin Quarter, a.k.a. La Clef, can finally breathe easy. The six years of struggle and dedication have finally paid off, and proof of that is this Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the collective announced the official reopening of the independent cinema on Rue Daubenton. Mark your calendars for January 14, 2026, for the first screenings!
A successful struggle
Founded in 1973, La Clef had to shut its doors in 2018 by order of the works council of the Caisse d'Épargne d'Île-de-France, the then owner of the venue. This was followed in 2019 by two years of illegal occupation by the La Clef Revival collective, with nearly 1,500 films screened, as noted by source.
referrer" target="_blank">Le Parisien. The teams ultimately had to leave the premises, after strong mobilizations in March 2022, expelled by the owners.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
And after more than six years of struggle, La Clef is finally announcing its (true) revival! The collective celebrated the purchase of the venue in June 2024 – thanks to the creation of an endowment fund, a bank loan of 800,000 euros, and the involvement of over 5,000 volunteers in the fundraising campaign. The teams have done everything to ensure that it remains an independent and community-run cinema forever, they clarify in their press release. Today, La Clef cannot be sold and is entirely managed and programmed collectively by its users.
A militant, community-driven, self-managed neighborhood cinema
With financial support from the CNC, the Île-de-France region, and the city of Paris, the collective embarked on a year and a half of renovations to refresh its cinema. Updated from floor to ceiling, La Clef now features a new bar, a library, and two screening rooms.
n (one with 130 seats, the other with 65 seats).See this post on Instagram
On the programming side, the teams are committed to highlighting lesser-known films and practicing solidarity pricing with a pay-what-you-can model. The idea? To keep the history of cinema alive, which has always housed offbeat stories since its inception. The programming will therefore be eclectic and free, with “films from ....”heritage, recent history », the collective shares with Le Parisien. These commitments celebrate the activist history of La Clef, in both images and actions, thus showcasing the collective's solidarity with those who are fighting today for greater social justice and against all forms of oppression.
While the reopening date hasn't been revealed yet, we already know that the first screenings will resume on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, and the program will be announced right at the start of the new term. And one thing's for sure: we'll be there!
Cinéma La Clef
34, rue Daubenton – 5th
Reopening on January 14, 2026
More info