Lawrence of Arabia & More Classics Revived at Lama Film Festival!

During the Lama Festival, Allociné had the opportunity to interview Jean-Fabrice Janaudy, manager of Les Acacias and operator of the cinema Le Vincennes. Present at the festival to accompany a screening of Fanfan la Tulipe, Jean-Fabrice Janaudy shared insights into the challenges of re-releasing films in cinemas.

How are films selected and promoted? Discover our interview!

“In recent years, Les Acacias has focused on the classics. Previously, we distributed various films, including classics. Now, it’s exclusively classics. We felt there was a real urgency to expose the younger generation of cinephiles to these timeless classics, which need to be showcased generation after generation.”

“There was really an urgency with the new generation”

That’s why we’ve offered films like Touch of Evil, The Apartment, and The Rules of the Game, for instance. We also aim to reintroduce masterpieces that have been completely forgotten, like Black Girl by Ousmane Sembène, or Chronicle of the Years of Fire by Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, a somewhat forgotten Palme d’Or winner in film history.

This year, we are showcasing The Drift by Paula Delsol. It’s her first film and likely one of the lesser-known gems of the French New Wave. We tried to re-release it over 20 years ago, to little avail. Today, this film directed by a woman during the New Wave resonates differently: it’s a significant film. With appearances at Cannes Classics, Bologna, La Rochelle, and other upcoming festivals, our goal is to recreate an event to reintroduce this work to everyone.”

“Our role is to highlight and promote these restored films to bring them to the cinema”

How do you sustain the business of re-releasing films?

“We are purely distributors. Restoration is handled by the rights holders and producers who own the rights in the territory, as this cost is extremely high.

We step in right after. Our role is to highlight and promote these restored films to bring them to the cinema. We’ve observed that the cinema has become one of the most significant means for rediscovery. When I was growing up in the 1980s, television played this role of transmission. You became a cinephile almost without realizing it. Today, television no longer performs this function, or does so very little. Hence, it’s up to us, the distributors, in partnership with the cinemas, to take over.”

“Our goal is to focus on about ten films a year”

Of course, distribution has a cost: creating new posters, cutting trailers, advertising, hiring a press agent, or engaging on social media platforms like TikTok. To balance these expenses, we aim for at least 10,000 admissions per film. We also receive support from the CNC, which assists us on six to eight projects annually. Our goal is thus to concentrate on about ten films a year that we work on very meticulously.

The advantage of the repertoire over new releases is the timing. For a recent film, if the opening on Wednesday is weak, the film is practically dead at 95%. With the repertoire, the release date serves as a launching pad. The film starts in art house cinemas in Paris’s Latin Quarter and in the provinces, then continues to circulate for a year or two.”

Sometimes, it takes time. For The Organizer by Mario Monicelli, the start was decent but not outstanding. However, the film surpassed 10,000 admissions after ten years, supported by regional associations, the Italian cinema network, social themes, or the presence of Marcello Mastroianni. The film eventually found its place with the audience.”

Can you give an example of a film that was a great success in your re-releases?

“We’ve been fortunate: over the past two years, we’ve signed two of the greatest successes in the art house repertoire—on our scale, of course.

Two years ago, we re-released The Name of the Rose by Jean-Jacques Annaud. We achieved nearly 50,000 admissions. The first screening was held at the closing of the Lumière Festival, at the Halle Tony Garnier. The film was then released in theaters in February 2024, gathering nearly 50,000 viewers and shown in about 750 cinemas. It was a huge success.

This was due to several factors: it’s a great film that has become a cult classic that parents have introduced to their children, creating true notoriety among the younger generation. Jean-Jacques Annaud greatly supported us. He did a lot of media appearances. The power of traditional media remains impressive in reaching the general public.”

“We sensed that Requiem for a Dream was cult”

Last year, we had another great success with Requiem for a Dream, which attracted 42,000 viewers. This was yet another approach: we brought Darren Aronofsky to Paris for a week. Together with the French Cinémathèque, we organized a complete retrospective that he presented. He came to introduce the film at the UGC Les Halles, followed up with interviews, and did a signing session at Potemkine for the simultaneous release of the box set. It was a significant event.

We sensed that the film was cult. The youth love this film and wanted to see or re-watch it on the big screen. Many art house operators told us they saw young viewers that they don’t typically see in their cinemas.”

This fall, we are going to repeat the experience with Todd Haynes, who will come to Paris for the re-release of Safe and Poison, his first two films. It’s also the anniversary of the French release of Safe, a film that is particularly dear to him.

Offering these two works together will be great: Poison is an experimental short film inspired by Jean Genet, and Safe is a major film about the sick American society of the 90s, which really lays the groundwork for Todd Haynes’s cinema. Safe is very important to cinephiles, and we hope to replicate the success of our previous operations!”

“Lawrence of Arabia, an important film for certain influencers”

Lawrence of Arabia is being re-released on July 29 in about fifty cinemas across France.