Chapter Text
If you were curious enough, you could find yourself wandering backstreets, narrowed and paved. Strolling along those streets could lead you to a peculiar part of Paris Latin Quarter. Parallel to the Boulevard Saint-Michel and near the Panthéon, you could have the chance to encounter a small establishment, now opened since 1925. But finding L’Utopia was per se something you had to work for. And indeed, flanked by a very old and very solemn hausmannian building and a tiny, packed cabinet of curiosities, L’Utopia could go unnoticed for one pedestrian in a rush. But if you had a spirit adventurous enough and some time to pass, the movie theater L’Utopia was a place to look for.
Born in a depot during year 1920, L’Utopia was then the dream of one François Joanis and his partner Clément Moreau. Both men were adamant that their establishment would be a symbol of art and progress, a place where all the intellectual elite from Paris could meet. It was therefore, during some years an establishment of some repute.
Until television happened. L’Utopia and its other fellow movie theaters slowly began to attract less and less visitors. Why going to the movie theater ? they would say, when we can stay at home and have the movie on the TV. The advent of television marked the end of the movie theaters golden age and the agonizing death of all the small and independent establishments.
That being said, L’Utopia was still running… or rather, limping. Its old and ragged red carpets and its apparent stones were for the regular visitors part of its charm, as for the eternal dust smell and the narrowed stairway leading to the second and third floors, where two rooms with creaking seats were waiting.
And Dean was one of these.
Truth be told, she rarely sat in the dark room among audience member. How could she, when she was the one running the projection perched on her personal projectionist room?
It was a quiet job, but one that she actually liked. Looking for dusty film rolls and hearing the characteristic click clik click when she put on the projector. Plus, she could enjoy free movies (and if she could rarely see one until the end, she didn’t complain).
L’Utopia had a character, and its workers were often found referring it as a person: a rather old and odd person, who could let them discover classic french movies from the 50’s or drown them in very bad monster movies depending on the last whim of its current owner: Garth Fitzerald IV, a strange human being, rather dedicated but clearly lacking some people skills.
Dean enjoyed this job, and she sometimes wished she owned the place. Don’t misunderstand her, Garth was a kind boss, and a person Dean could be proud to call a friend, but she wished she could have study harder in school. She dreamed of running her own place, choosing movies based on her whims and not those of Garth. L’Utopia was a place for people to dream in, and that was exactly what she usually did when hidden in her tiny projection room. I make movies to fulfill my teenage dreams, to feel good and if possible, to make other people feel good too. That was written in dark cursive on the wood of the big door leading to the stairs and Dean knew it was from François Truffaut.
“Don’t forget to switch all the lights off!”, reminded joyfully Tessa, her coworke,.
“You know I never forget Tessa, should I recall you who was the last one who let the lights on?” Dean answered, pointing not so subtly to their very own boss, lost in his thoughts watching two different versions of a movie poster.
“I hear you guys!” come the voice of Garth “and not my fault, I was in a rush to find a present for my…”
“Your fiancé, yes we know” answered Tessa and Dean at the same time before laughing playfully.
A smile broke Garth’s face as he teared himself from his contemplation and both women knew what was coming.
“I should go now!” said Tessa in a rush before leaving “Bye Garth, bye Dean, see you tomorrow!”
“Traitor!” mouthed Dean as she leaved.
“You know Bess, Dean, wedding is for next year, we have a lot to do!”
“How could I forget Garth, not like you told me at least one hundred times that you were getting married next year” answered Dean with an affectionate smile.
“Anyway Dean, before I leave, and you run the last movie for tonight I need to ask you something.”
“Everything, except for being your guinea pig for another one of your desert.”
“Nothing that suicidal, do not worry. I need you to do an errand tomorrow. Tristan will not be working tomorrow, he had some exams, so could you do something for me? I just finished printing this month’s program and it needs to be delivered to the nearest shops. It’s usually Tristan’s job and I would have wait but we’re Thursday and it needs to be delivered before Saturday, busiest day of the week.” Finished Garth with a pleading look.
“No problem” answered Dean “but I need the names of the shops.”
“Oh don’t worry, everything you need to know will be in a folder in the office tomorrow. Thank you, Dean. If you need a day off sometime, just tell me and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Well…don’t need one at the moment… but soon it will be my baby brother birthday and I’ll be happy to have some time for him.”
Garth smiled affectionately “Just send me a note with Sam’s birthday date and I’ll make sure to not schedule you that day. This kid deserves some happy time between university and his big sister. You deserve it too !”
And that’s why Garth was such a good boss. Garth was human, he had empathy, as reflected by the very old cat peacefully sleeping in the office… It was fascinating, how all those disparate elements could create such harmony and charm. The old wooden floor, the old chandeliers, the old red carpeting, the old cat and the old movie posters on the wall. That was part of L’Utopia’s character.
Mirza was here every day since such a long time that regulars thought about her as a part of L‘Utopia. Her whiskers and battered eyes usually gave her a stray look but really, she was just a cushion cat, happy to have a place to stay and to be fed. Dean scratched her ears while mentally checking all the things she needed to take care of before closure.
Check the cash register
Lock all the entrances
Clean the main hall
Be sure no one locked themselves in the first-floor bathroom again
Do not forget her bag in the office
She would clean and lock some entrances during the movie, then she would enjoy the end of the projection and hopefully she would be home for midnight. Sam would probably still be awake anyway.
With a happy sight she went for the main hall where a few visitors were already here, waiting to see Les Quatre Cents Coups.