Navire Argo
A lab and a cinema dedicated to photochemical film. A place to create (↓), project (↓) and share skills and knowledge (↓), anchored in the city (↓).
Create
An artist-run
film lab
Building on the work accomplished by the non-profit L’Abominable, Navire Argo will provide a comprehensive array of machines for creative film-based workflows.
From Super 8, 16 and 35mm development in color and black and white, to subtitled projection prints with optical sound, Navire Argo provides filmmakers with the means to carry out and experiment with every step in the creative process.
Navire Argo does not fulfill work orders for clients. It is a space where all those with a desire to pursue a hands-on approach to photochemical film can learn in a collective context built on mutual aid. There is no selection process; all projects are welcome.
Beginners benefit from the technical assistance of more experienced filmmakers in order to progressively learn how to use the tools and machines on their own. Access to such a space is an invaluable resource for filmmakers working with limited means.
This organizational model has allowed for nearly 400 works (→) of various genres and lengths to be completed between 1996 and today. These works have been shown in thriving non-profit networks and at a wide range of festivals, including some of the most prestigious international events. In some cases, this has led to television broadcasts and theatrical releases.
By participating in a large network of artist-run film labs (→) that has evolved over the past twenty-five years, all while remaining unique in its scale and organizational model, Navire Argo will contribute to the vitality of contemporary cinema.
Project
A unique
screening room
Navire Argo’s activities will be organized around a small screening room equipped with 35mm, 16mm, and Super 8 projectors. This indispensable resource for the lab will provide the public with the opportunity to experience photochemical film on the big screen.
From tests to final projection prints, the screening room allows filmmakers to project film elements produced in the lab. During editing and sound mixing, it also gives them the opportunity to organize film or digital test screenings on the big screen with a calibrated sound system.
The screening room is also a rehearsal space for filmmakers who create expanded cinema performances beyond the standard projection setup, using multiple projectors in a live setting and/or with a musical accompaniment.
This space is not intended to be used solely by filmmakers. It is also a non-commercial cinema open to the public. Filmmakers will regularly present their new works, and repertory films will also be projected at curated screenings, followed by lively discussions with the public.
An eclectic film program will draw on a collection of rare films in 16mm and 35mm from all over the world, which will have been deposited by private and public archives such as the Cinémathèque Française.
Although many festivals, movie theaters, and museums continue to show films in 16mm and 35mm, it is no longer possible to receive professional projection training in these formats in Europe. Navire Argo's screening room will be a perfect space for such courses.
The goal is not only to support contemporary film practice and present screenings, but also to preserve technical skills related to film projection so that future generations can be allowed to experience film on film.
Share
A place to share
skills and knowledge
One of the core objectives of Navire Argo will be to pass on the technical skills that make photochemical filmmaking possible. Filmmakers will learn from each other, and we will also build partnerships with art schools, film schools, and social and cultural organizations.
Navire Argo is a one-of-a-kind instructional space that welcomes an ever-growing number of filmmakers and artists eager to learn photochemical techniques.
From shooting to projection, with all the steps in between – development, editing, and striking prints – filmmakers learn by doing and experimenting. Skills and gestures that once belonged to lab technicians are now passed on to filmmakers.
A living conservatory of cinematographic techniques, Navire Argo is an invaluable depository of unique and hard-to-find documentation.
This technical resource, gradually collected over the years, is indispensable for the survival of fundamental skills and for the maintenance and customization of the industrial machines at the heart of the lab.
This sharing of skills takes place in dialogue with a broad network of cinematheques and film archives involved in crucial questions of preservation and exhibition of the rich century-long cinematographic heritage.
This sharing-based approach goes beyond the strict professional framework of photochemical post-production.
In collaboration with schools and universities such as La Fémis, Beaux-Arts de Paris, and the University of Paris VIII, Navire Argo will participate in educational projects related to the moving image, in particular by developing partnerships with local social and cultural organizations.
These collaborations, always open to (re)invention, can take the form of workshops, school visits to the laboratory, collective film productions, and off-site screening
Anchor
Open to the world, anchored
in the city
Navire Argo will be a vibrant cultural space anchored in the city, open to both local residents and curious visitors from near and afar. Thanks to cinema’s ability to touch viewers from all walks of life, Navire Argo will bring together a diverse audience and encourage reflection and discussion.
All year long, Navire Argo welcomes local and international filmmakers who wish to complete their films with the lab’s resources. This creative energy drives Navire Argo's day-to-day activities, while the international perspective enriches its involvement in local life.
Anyone can step through the door of the community café, learn about the organization, return for a screening, and discover something new, surprising, or even transformative.
This local engagement also involves a number of long-term projects built on partnerships with organizations involved in community and social work. What makes Navire Argo unique is its ability to provide everyone with the possibility of experiencing films in the very place that they are created.
In this space dedicated to creativity, filmmakers, cinephiles, and neighborhood residents can come together to get to know each other and discuss a wide range of subjects through the lens of cinema.
Other such spaces, built around collectively-run film venues in tune with their local surroundings, already exist, such as Polygone étoilé (→) in Marseille, Gran lux (→) in Saint-Étienne and Cinema Nova (→) in Brussels.