It was a very special cinema session that spectators at a cinema in Lille (North) experienced, Wednesday June 17, 2026. Come to discover Backroomsreleased the same day, they found themselves immersed in a stifling atmosphere before the projection turned into a technical fiasco, says News Lille.
This cinema on rue de Béthune is currently undergoing renovation. Although the new hall is already operational, the ventilation work has fallen behind schedule and several rooms remain without air conditioning. For the 400 spectators at the 6:30 p.m. session, they first had to endure the crushing heat.
A canceled screening
Then, the image gradually deteriorated: the temperature difference between the room and the projection booth caused fogging on the projector glass, making the image blurry and the subtitles unreadable. The projectionist had to intervene with a rag.
The session was then interrupted for around twenty minutes, without explanation. “Some people were making jokes, others were playing Chinese shadows.”tells a spectator to our colleagues. The projection finally resumed, but the following session, at 8:45 p.m., had to be canceled as the projector refused to start.
Un « excès de confiance »
The director of the establishment apologized, acknowledging having « péché par excès de confiance » facing the weather. The cinema offered two seats to spectators of the canceled screening. Air conditioning should be restored in all affected rooms before the Cinema Festival.
