La Géode reopens its doors after six years of work

"On the program for this completely redesigned experience: must-see documentaries during the day and unmissable cinema films in the evening," Pathé France wrote on Instagram on Tuesday when announcing the reopening.

On show: the animated film "Mufasa: The Lion King" and documentaries on the human body, blue whales and the tyrannosaurus.

"Equipped with the first IMAX Laser 4K projector in dome format installed in France, the Géode offers sharper images, deeper contrasts as well as the widest range of colors available" and improved sound, assured Pathé in the same publication.

Gaumont-Pathé cinemas now operate this unusual venue, recognizable by its 36 m diameter mirrored sphere, located next to the Cité des sciences et de l'industrie in the Parc de la Villette (19th arrondissement). It had been closed since 2018 for renovation work.

The first of its kind in France when it opened in 1985 with a screen covering almost the entire room, the first to be equipped with an IMAX projector plunging the viewer into the heart of the action, the Géode based its model on the projection of documentaries in spectacular formats.

But its success had eroded, particularly in the face of competition from cinemas competing with new technologies and the public's tendency to watch films on other media. With 1 million visitors per year in its early years, the cinema had been in deficit since 2010.

Universcience, a public institution which brings together the Palais de la Découverte and the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, launched a call for projects in 2017 to give it a new lease of life.