At The Former Éclair Laboratory

The Former Éclair Film Laboratory

Over the course of the last century, the Éclair film laboratory – established in Épinay-sur-Seine in 1907 – developed, printed, and created effects for the majority of films shot on celluloid for the French market.

In 2015, after suffering the effects of the transition to digital, this industrial complex spanning 10 acres was closed.

Located only 30 minutes away from the center of Paris via public transportation, the former Éclair film laboratory is currently being transformed into a vast cultural district by the city of Epinay-sur-Seine which bought the land in 2018.

Since the opening of L’Éclair (→) in June 2023, the site is gradually becoming a lively place again. By 2025, more than a hundred artists’ and craftsmen’s studios, a community restaurant, an art gallery, and a music venue will operate side by side.

Part and parcel of this renaissance, Navire Argo will move into a 2,000 sq. m. space in the Production building, a part of the complex where laboratory technicians developed camera negatives and clients previewed color-corrected prints in a dedicated screening room.

Filmmakers will now pick up where these technicians left off, opening the doors of the screening room to the public. The very industry that remained inaccessible to many filmmakers will now be put to the service of contemporary photochemical film practices and the perpetuation of hands-on skills and technical knowledge.

Renovations for Navire Argo

Moving into this building has several advantages, as parts of its infrastructure can be put back into use: there are already air exhaust outlets in the development area, and the screening room has a projection booth that is ready to house our 35mm and 16mm projectors.

This space, initially constructed for large-scale industrial activity, must nonetheless be adapted to the needs of filmmakers working on film today. The building, which dates from 1952 and has been empty for nearly a decade, also shows many signs of deterioration.

The former array of film processors running round-the-clock produced enough heat to keep the building warm despite the lack of thermal insulation. This requires us to rethink the building for our current needs and to limit energy consumption. We need to insulate the walls and ceilings, install a central heating system, and replace the windows with double-glazed glass.

While the screening room was formerly used only by film professionals such as producers and directors of photography, it must now meet all of the safety regulations that will allow us to open it to the public.

The spaces inside of the lab must also be reconfigured: partition walls must be torn down, dust-free rooms need to be created, and the points of entry to the different parts of the lab must be rethought. A space dedicated to the long-term conservation of Navire Argo’s collection of film prints will also be required.

Architect: François Le Pivain

The Collection

In order to build Navire Argo’s collection, we are calling on archives, collectors, filmmakers and distributors willing to entrust us with their film prints – short or long, recent or not – which we will preserve in the best possible conditions (T < 15°C, RH 30%) in exchange for the right to project them to the public in our screening room.

These prints will travel through time, powered by the solar energy of the photovoltaic panels installed on the roof just above them, and will be at the heart of Navire’s programming.

If you wish to contribute to this adventure in any way – by depositing prints or by helping us find them – please write to us at contact@navireargo.org.

Funding the Project

To carry out this large renovation project, L’Abominable is supported by its public partners: the Green Fund of the Ministry of Ecological Transition (€1,2M), the National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (€700,000), the Île-de-France Region (€748,000), the Seine-Saint-Denis Department (€700,000).

The City of Épinay-sur-Seine is responsible for making the building watertight, airtight, and structurally sound.

With a budget of over 3 million euros, the renovation project will run from September 2023 to December 2024. In the first half of 2025, filmmaker members of the organization will set up the laboratory machines and equip the projection room, with opening planned for 2025.

In exchange for our significant investment in this building, which belongs to the city, the local government of Épinay-sur-Seine has agreed to put the space at our disposal at no charge for 35 years.

The crowdfunding campaign launched in 2022 continues for all those who wish to participate in the project financially. Focusing on the public screening room, this call for donations is mobilizing all resources for the construction of the Navire.

The organization L’Abominable is supported by the French National Center for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), the Ile-de-France Region and the Seine-Saint-Denis Department.

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