Africa

Opening of Cameroon’s First Cinema

The French company, ‘Vivendi’, opened Yaounde’s first cinema

June 14th, 2016
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The French company, ‘Vivendi’, has opened the ‘Canal Olympia’ cinema in the heart of Yaounde’s University, one of only two state universities in the country. This cinema is Cameroon’s first movie theatre since the 1990s.

The cinema will be dedicated to the screening of Cameroonian and international films, but also to the organisation of concerts of exhibitions showcasing local and foreign artists, in addition to the hosting of local stand-up comedy shows.

The Prime Minister of Cameroon, Philémon Yang, and the CEO of ‘Vivendi’, Vincent Bolloré, both attended the inauguration ceremony. Despite the modesty of the project, Vincent Bolloré insisted on personally attending the inauguration. Cameroon is an important country for the company, as ‘Vivendi’ has connections with the Cameroonian railways and harbours, in addition to Cameroon’s palm oil sector.

Vivendi’s CEO stated that this project will allow the local audience to watch film premieres at the same time as those watching in Los Angeles or Tokyo. It will also aide in the discovery of young Cameroonian and presents this talent with the opportunity to make a name for themselves around the world. Thus, Bolloré appealed for the creation of a ‘content industry’ in the country and invited the students of the university and ‘those whore are capable’ to ‘present their talents, in order to see how to improve’.

He emphasised, furthermore, that this cinema is a completely green endeavour, as the electricity needed for general operation and the screening of films will be produced by 720m2 of solar panels. To conclude his speech, he promised that ‘Vivendi’ intends to build over one hundred similar complexes across Africa.

References

Cultural Diplomacy News
Pierre Even, CD News