After a long closure that began in September 2024 for a major transformation, the Cinémathèque de Toulouse finally reopened its doors on April 10, 11, and 12 with a weekend of non-stop screenings. Modernized and redesigned for the “next 20/30 years,” the venue now offers three theaters, new services such as a café, and above all a renewed ambition. To mark this new beginning, the Toulouse institution is launching a flamboyant series: “Pop!”, to be discovered from April 14 to June 28.
“A dive into pop aesthetics”
“Pop! With an exclamation point. To emphasize the color. Because it has to pop. We want flashy. We want counterculture and popular culture, Louis de Funès and Andy Warhol. Same struggle. At the same level. On the same plane. Warhol = de Funès!” This manifesto, signed by Franck Lubet, programming manager, sets the tone! Claiming a mix of genres, this series invites the viewer to (re)immerse themselves in the 1960s/1970s, a turning point period where “everything became political”.
“At that time, images, objects, and styles became carriers of meaning, and even ‘a short vinyl skirt said more than an editorial’.” The programming carries the strong idea that pop art is not limited to galleries, but permeates cinema and even reaches its codes.
“There is no guilty pleasure. There is only pleasure. That’s the pop spirit! Whether you want to sharpen your critical thinking or you want a good dose of fun. Everything is pop. Pop is everywhere. Pop is everything. Enjoy,” concludes the programmer.
“The highlights of ‘Pop!'”
Several iconic works of the period will be highlighted for a month, as well as some beautiful discoveries and oddities. Here are some not to be missed:
– “Masculin féminin”, Jean-Luc Godard (1966): Thursday, April 16 at 9 p.m. (Theater 1) and Saturday, May 23 at 7 p.m. (Theater 1) – “A Clockwork Orange”, Stanley Kubrick (1971): Friday, April 17 at 9:15 p.m. (Theater 1), Thursday, May 28 at 9 p.m. (Theater 1), and Saturday, June 20 at 9 p.m. (Theater 1) – “The Young Girls of Rochefort”, Jacques Demy (1967): Sunday, April 19 at 5 p.m. (Theater 2) and Friday, May 29 at 7 p.m. (Theater 1)
[Context: the Cinémathèque de Toulouse reopened after a long period of closure for renovation and modernization, offering a new experience to visitors focused on the pop culture of the 1960s/1970s.]
[Fact check: The Cinémathèque de Toulouse offers a diverse program including iconic movies from the 1960s and 1970s as part of the “Pop!” series, inviting audiences to explore the aesthetics and cultural impact of that era.]
