“I jumped at the chance”: in Pontivy, the seats of the Rex cinema find their second life in private homes

The appointment was given at 10 a.m. But before time, vans and vans are already parked in the parking lot. Everyone comes to collect the chairs they reserved a few weeks earlier.

Armchairs that are all the rage

Last month, Benoît Roué, director of the Rex cinema in Pontivy, posted an announcement on Facebook, informing of the sale of the 170 seats in one of his cinemas. “In 24 hours everything was booked. I had to create a waiting list for potential cancellations,” explains the manager.

In the room, everyone is busy. Wrenches in hand, buyers unscrew armrests, backrests and seats.

Julien Scherb, employee, came from Lorient to collect six seats: “It’s not easy to find good cinema seats, and especially not expensive ones,” he says. Sold for €25 each, the armchairs quickly found buyers. The last buyer to be able to reserve, Caroline Louesdon came with her family to collect her purchases. She already has their future location in mind: “We want to make cinema at home. We have a renovated hangar, so we’re going to put all twelve seats in there, then put in a big screen.”

Same enthusiasm for Philippe Hureau, retired for five years: “I had been looking for some in flea markets for a long time, but when I saw the advert I jumped at the opportunity,” he exclaims. In less than two hours, the rows disappear.

A “deal” that captivated the whole world

This is the third time that the director of Rex Pontivy has repeated this operation. According to him, the transaction is a win-win for everyone: “I know that people are interested in the chairs. I make a deal: I sell the chairs which help finance the new ones, and people come to dismantle them themselves,” summarizes Benoît Roué.

The cinema should reopen its doors on June 12 according to the director. The project, estimated at nearly €80,000, includes the installation of a new carpet and new armchairs at €300 each.