By Michele Diomà

Today is a truly special day for WILD FILMMAKER, as we are exclusively presenting an interview with Frédéric Bonnaud, director of the Cinémathèque française in Paris, the most important film institution in the world. Founded in 1936 by Henri Langlois and Georges Franju, it is an essential place for anyone who loves the history of cinema.

I first visited the Cinémathèque française when I was 11 years old, after an adventurous train journey from southern Italy. At that time, it was still located in the Palais de Chaillot, Place du Trocadéro, while it is now situated on Rue de Bercy. It was a place that fascinated me deeply, and I truly felt like Antoine Doinel, an experience I will also recount in the next film produced by WILD FILMMAKER.

Over the years, I have returned many times to the Cinémathèque française, which, with its magnificent exhibitions dedicated to the great figures of cinema history, has contributed to my growth as both a cinephile and filmmaker. I will return again in the coming weeks to see the exhibition dedicated to Orson Welles, which will open on October 8th and remain on view until January 11th, 2026.

-) Who is Frédéric Bonnaud?

A film critic in the written press and a radio and television journalist who became General Director of the Cinémathèque française in 2016. A cinephile, a lover of museums and cultural institutions. I had already worked at the Cinémathèque a long time ago and had been a regular visitor.

-) What is the first memory you associate with your passion for cinema?

Westerns dubbed in French on television. And Citizen Kane at my high school film club…

-) We read that starting October 8, the Cinémathèque française will host an exhibition dedicated to the great Orson Welles. Can you tell us a little more about it?

This exhibition takes the form of a small Xanadu, a miniature Xanadu, dedicated to a genius with countless talents: intellectual and interpreter of Shakespeare, radio, theater, film and television actor, producer, adapter of classics and screenwriter, professional magician, filmmaker, theater director and troupe leader, illustrator and sculptor. Welles embodies a multitude, and our exhibition is both a modest reflection of all his talents and an introduction to his exceptional body of cinematic work.

-) What are the other major initiatives that the Cinémathèque française will organize this fall?

YOU JUST NEED TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.cinematheque.fr/ But let’s just point out that the Orson Welles retrospective accompanying the exhibition is undoubtedly the most comprehensive ever organized.

-) Among the missions of institutions like the Cinémathèque française is also that of introducing the history of cinema to younger generations. Today, with social media and the increasingly limited attention span of audiences, it is not easy to introduce them to the great classics of cinema. What has been your experience in this regard?

Our mission is to tirelessly show ALL of cinema—not just the great classics and not only for young people. But 20% of our audience is under 26 years old, so clearly it is possible…

-) Are you also working on projects outside those of the Cinémathèque française? If so, could you tell us about them?

From time to time, I write documentaries about cinema, devoted to Jean-Luc Godard or Jacques Demy.