The Castillet Cinema

At a time when virtual reality is becoming more and more a part of everyday life, the Cinéma Castillet offers a beautiful step back in time — to when the first joys of the silver screen were just beginning to blossom in this Mediterranean city. For over 110 years now, it’s been a key part of Perpignan’s cultural life. Think of it like a beloved elder — respected, admired, but one who’s had more than their share of ups and downs. And that started right from the beginning. The Cinéma Castillet, the first of its kind in Perpignan, opened on November 7, 1911. It was Joan Font, a cinema operator from Barcelona, who came up with the idea during a visit to France. He chose a 600-square-metre plot of land, once part of the city’s northern ramparts, and called on architect Eugène Montès to design the building, with local artist Alexandre Guénot adding the decorative touches. Blending 19th-century style with Art Nouveau, floral ceramic friezes, theatrical masks and sculpted details, the cinema was a true architectural gem. Unfortunately, on opening day, the building’s bold appearance caused quite a stir — and not in a good way. The press went so far as to call it “a masterpiece of bad Spanish taste,” and compared it to a mosque or even a psychiatric hospital. But Joan Font didn’t give up. He went as far as hiring an orchestra to accompany the silent films of the time — and it was a huge success in Perpignan. Around 1914, with France entering the First World War, the cinema was forced to close its doors as a gesture of solidarity with soldiers at the front. The financial losses were heavy, but things improved significantly in the years that followed. By 1973, the rise of erotic cinema brought large crowds, especially from Spain, where such films were banned — many crossed the border just to watch them. Threatened more than once by the rise of television, the Font family doubled down on efforts to keep the business alive. They introduced discounted tickets to attract middle-class audiences, held open-air screenings, and expanded with new theatres in and around Perpignan. In 1997, the Cinéma Castillet was officially listed as a historic monument. Now managed by the fifth generation of the Font family, the century-old cinema has been fully renovated inside and carefully preserved — and it certainly isn’t about to roll the end credits on its story anytime soon