Since its creation in 1938, the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique has established itself as one of the most prestigious archives in the world, renowned for its vast collection of films and related items. From the outset, the institution was housed in the palace designed by Victor Horta. The film collection grew rapidly, prompting Jacques Ledoux, curator since 1948, to found the Musée du Cinéma in 1962, which was then incorporated into the Palais des Beaux-Arts. In 2009, CINEMATEK took on its modern identity by moving into a wing of the palace. Beneath the fine Art Deco architecture, two underground cinemas were created, which now form the backdrop to our rich film programme.

Our collaboration with BOZAR strengthens our mission by fostering an ongoing dialogue between cinematic art and other forms of cultural expression such as music, visual arts and performance. A recent highlight of this collaboration was the Travelling exhibition devoted to the life and work of Chantal Akerman, which had a profound effect on the public.

This summer, however, the Palais des Beaux-Arts is temporarily closing its doors for renovation work from 22 July to 15 August. These works will make it impossible for CINEMATEK to organise daily film screenings. As a result, we will exceptionally have to close our doors for three weeks this summer. But before and after this period