L'Espace

L'Espace is a cinema in Besançon, located in the Planoise district and run as one of two venues under Les 2 Scènes — Besançon's Scène Nationale institution. Despite its generic-sounding name, this is a specific single-screen art-house cinema known locally for a program that blends new releases with classic film.

How to get there?

The cinema sits at 3 Place de l'Europe, in the heart of Planoise — one of Besançon's larger residential districts, west of the historic city centre. From downtown Besançon it's a short ride by public transport or car, typically well under half an hour. The venue is part of Planoise's wider cultural infrastructure, sitting alongside other public facilities in the district, which makes it an easy landmark for residents and visitors exploring this part of the city.

What will you see?

L'Espace has a single screening room seating around 350 people — a sizeable but intimate space, quite different from the multi-screen complexes found in central Besançon. The cinema carries the "Patrimoine Répertoire" label awarded by AFCAE (the French association of art-house cinemas), meaning that alongside current releases it regularly screens films from cinema history — classics, retrospectives, and repertory programming. That sets it apart from standard chain cinemas focused solely on current box-office titles.

The name itself reflects the building's history: it originally operated as Théâtre de l'Espace, a theatre stage serving the Planoise district. In 2012, this stage merged with the Théâtre musical in the city centre (now known as Théâtre Ledoux) to form Les 2 Scènes, an institution that runs both venues under a single programming structure. The cinema kept its location and identity, and today functions as the screening room within this larger cultural institution.

Programming covers releases for a broad audience, including family screenings organised during school holidays, along with accompanying events such as director talks and themed screenings typical of art-house cinemas. Because it's linked to Les 2 Scènes, the film programme sometimes ties in with the institution's stage productions, making L'Espace part of a wider cultural offering in the district.

When to visit?

The cinema operates year-round, with the programme changing regularly alongside new film releases and Les 2 Scènes' cultural season. School holiday periods (winter, spring, summer) are a good time for the family screenings that are regularly scheduled here. Visitors interested in classic and auteur cinema should check the current schedule at les2scenes.fr, which lists both new releases and recurring screenings of films from cinema history.

Frequently asked questions

What is L'Espace in Besançon? It's a single-screen cinema (around 350 seats) in the Planoise district, run by Les 2 Scènes — Besançon's Scène Nationale — and carrying the "Patrimoine Répertoire" art-house label.

Where exactly is the cinema located? At 3 Place de l'Europe, in the Planoise district, west of central Besançon.

How does L'Espace differ from other cinemas in Besançon? As a labelled art-house cinema, it combines current releases with screenings of classic and auteur films, unlike the standard multiplex chains in the city.

What's the history behind this venue? It began as Théâtre de l'Espace in Planoise; in 2012 it merged with the Théâtre musical from the city centre to form Les 2 Scènes, which still runs both venues today.