The online cinema endorsed by well-renowned filmmakers

As a generation with short attention spans traversing our endless options of substandard films, it's easy to become desensitised by a world oversaturated with content. By screening just one film a week for free, every Sunday, Le CiNéMa Club offers films from new directors from around the world, rare films by established directors, or other interesting finds. Le CiNéMa Club presents shorts, features, documentaries, from all kinds of genres, both contemporary and old. Working closely with well-renowned directors, the cinema club features film lists recommendations by filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Josh Safdie, Yorgos Lanthimos, Isabelle Huppert and Léa Seydoux. Once the chosen film has been screened for a week, they’re placed into an archive that directs viewers to sites they can watch on or buy from, unless it's exclusively shown on the club; in turn, this gives some support for directors.

“As a viewer, I wanted something different and more curated than the current platforms. As a producer, I was seeing a lot of great films and new talents in festivals that deserved better exposure. The idea was born from those two impressions and, of course, because of my love for cinema.”

Founded by Marie-Louise Khondji, the platform blends the old with the new by throwing us back to the days of single-screen cinema. Compared to networks that we can browse through in the comfort of our own homes, the platform erases the indecisiveness we can feel when presented with too many options. Khondji explains her very selective curation: “I find new directors at film festivals, by talking to trusted filmmakers, and producers, and film writers and film buffs, or simply by doing research”.

Speaking about her background, Khondji explains her passion for film. With a father who's a cinematographer, she used to visit film sets that he worked on, which she calls her own form of film school as she didn't formally study in a film institution. Rather, she studied culture and media management before going on to work in film production and distribution for eight years in the US and Europe – building on her knowledge and experience through work and going to film festivals. As a cinephile, what we can expect from Khondji are great selections that have been carefully chosen, and which will coincide with the cultural calendar, to both educate and entertain us through film. “I look for films that have good stories, a strong directing voice, interesting visual decisions, and a sense of cinema.”