Christian Chalencon

PosTED ON 18.10.2025

BRIEF BIO: ‘My father was the one who introduced me to science fiction. He took me to see all the Star Wars movies at the Palais des Congrès in Lyon!’ Christian Chalencon is an avid movie buff, as well as a major DVD collector, with over 200 films of all genres. ‘Except rom-com’, he laughs. The Lyon native, who began his cinephilia at the Comoedia movie theatre, is also a big fan of urban culture, stating, ‘There’s no underground music that I haven’t heard, from new wave to rap to techno.’ Christian even hosted a show on Radio Trait d'Union (RTU) in the 1980s. A former security guard at industrial sites, he worked as a seasonal grape picker and a salesman for several years in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. As part of a professional integration project run by the Salvation Army, Christian is joining the team of volunteers this year, a first for the Lyon native, who will welcome festivalgoers to the Institut Lumière's cinema photo gallery.

MY FAVOURITE FILMMAKERS: Without hesitation, Scorsese and Coppola! They are true maestros of incredible virtuoso. The wedding scene in The Godfather is a pure gem! As a fan of Korean cinema, I have always admired Park Chan-wook. 

MY GO-TO FILM: It's the ultimate genre film: Apocalypse Now! I saw it for the first time at the Comoedia cinema with my father. And since discovering the different versions, I love it even more!

WHY I VOLUNTEER: I’ve done quite a bit of volunteering in my life: when I was very young, I had the opportunity to discover what goes on behind the scenes at festivals thanks to the radio show I hosted. Since 2018, I’ve been volunteering at the Paléo Festival Nyon, where I provide night-time security. I was part of the ‘Celluloid’ projectionists' association in the 1990s and the Lyon Convention for Games and Imagination ‘Octogônes’. I love being behind the scenes at events.
    

MY MISSIONS AT THE FESTIVAL: I help welcome visitors to the Cinema Photo Gallery and the DVD shop in the Village.

  Interview by Laura Lépine

© Laura Lépine