Cinemas in Rome and Paris Offer Free Admission to Vulnerable Groups During Heatwaves

In response to rising temperatures and heat-related deaths across Europe, cinemas in Rome and Paris have launched initiatives to provide free admission during the hottest hours of the day for vulnerable populations. In Paris, three cinemas in the 10th arrondissement—Louxor, L'Archipel, and Brady—formed 'Ciné-Clim,' offering free entry between 1 PM and 4 PM for those particularly susceptible to heat. Rome's Cinema Troisi, operated by the Fondazione Piccolo America, followed suit with 'Allerta Fresco' (Cold Alert), offering free access to people under 25 or over 65, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. The foundation emerged from a grassroots occupation to save the Cinema America and has a history of civil society engagement, including free open-air cinema programs on public squares. The article notes that Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' has been a box office success, partly because it allows audiences to stay cool for three hours.