Cinéma Rex de Brive la Gaillarde

Cinéma Rex de Brive-la-Gaillarde is a historic cinema at the heart of Brive-la-Gaillarde, a town in the Corrèze department of southwestern France. Listed as a protected historic monument, the building stands as one of the region's finest examples of Art Deco architecture and continues to operate as a working cinema today.

Where did the Rex cinema in Brive come from?

Until the 1930s, Brive had only a single cinema, "Les Nouveautés," a venue that no longer exists and that showed nothing but silent films with live piano accompaniment. It was Madame Lacoste, an independent businesswoman, who decided to invest in a brand-new, modern cinema, even though the economy was still reeling from the 1929 crash. Construction took three years, running from 1935 to 1938, with the design entrusted to architect Villiéras.

What does the Cinéma Rex look like architecturally?

The Rex was built in the Art Deco idiom often nicknamed the "ocean liner style," echoing the sleek, streamlined silhouettes of the great transatlantic liners so fashionable in 1930s design. The original building was made up of three asymmetrical reinforced-concrete volumes stacked on top of one another, each dedicated to a different function: an entrance lobby, a bar, and a screening hall large enough to seat 800 people. That stacked, sculptural composition gave the cinema an almost ship-like presence that set it apart from the ordinary buildings surrounding it in the town centre.

How has the cinema changed over the decades?

The interior was reworked in the 1950s to keep pace with evolving projection standards. The most significant transformation came at the turn of 1980–1981, when the single, cavernous auditorium was split into three smaller screening rooms, turning the Rex into a triplex. That change let the cinema show several films at once and kept the venue commercially viable through the rise of multiplexes.

What is the Rex like today?

More than 80 years after it opened, Cinéma Rex remains an active venue dedicated to "Art et Essai" programming — auteur and adventurous cinema. It is counted among the small number of French cinemas that consistently champion bold, exploratory, independent filmmaking rather than chasing commercial trends. For residents of Brive, it functions as more than a place to catch a screening: it is a cultural landmark that pairs a striking historic shell with a genuinely lively, contemporary film programme.

Walking through the centre of Brive-la-Gaillarde, it's worth pausing in front of the Rex's façade — its geometric, streamlined lines are a rare surviving testament to the architectural daring of the 1930s, and a reminder that a cinema in a small provincial town could once rival the ambition of Parisian picture palaces of the same era.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Cinéma Rex in Brive-la-Gaillarde built? It was constructed between 1935 and 1938, designed by architect Villiéras in the Art Deco style.

Is Cinéma Rex still operating as a cinema? Yes, the venue is still an active cinema today, focused on Art et Essai (auteur and independent) film programming.

How many screens does Cinéma Rex have now? Since a 1980–1981 renovation, it has operated as a triplex with three screening rooms, created by dividing the original single 800-seat auditorium.

What makes the Cinéma Rex's architecture distinctive? The building is composed of three asymmetrical reinforced-concrete volumes in the so-called ocean-liner style, evoking the streamlined look of 1930s transatlantic passenger ships.