MK2 Bastille, Movie theater in the 11th arrondissement, Paris, France
MK2 Bastille is a movie theater in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, close to the Place de la Bastille, with three screening rooms of different sizes. The venue is split across two addresses, one on the Boulevard Beaumarchais side and one on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine side.
The cinema opened in 1939 under the name Radio-Cité-Bastille and originally screened newsreels and current events footage in a former furniture warehouse. Over the decades it changed its name and focus several times before the MK2 group took it over and renovated it after a closure in 2016.
The MK2 Bastille focuses on art films and independent productions, offering a program that differs from mainstream multiplex cinemas. The theater also hosts special screenings, sometimes with directors or actors present for a discussion after the film.
The theater sits right next to the Bastille metro station, served by lines 1, 5, and 8, making it easy to reach from most parts of Paris. Both entrances are on busy streets, so finding the right door is easier if you check which side your screening room is on before arriving.
The cinema started life as a venue for newsreels, functioning more like a moving newspaper than an entertainment space for its first years. It also runs a program called mk2 Bout'chou for children aged 2 to 4, with reduced sound levels and dimmed rather than full darkness in the room.
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