Cinémathèque d'images de montagne

The Cinémathèque Montagne (CIMALPES) is a recognised non-profit public-interest organisation (under the 1901 law). Since it was founded in 1996, this film library has been responsible for collecting, preserving and screening all the professional and amateur films made in mountainous areas since moving pictures were invented. CIMALPES has just renovated the old Badin factory in Gap, which opened on 13 September 2022. These new premises include a 160-seat cinema auditorium, a 350 m² exhibition area and a “reception and bar” area with a video jukebox. In total, CIMALPES has collected over 10,000 audiovisual documents, films, cassettes and digital files (all of which have been digitised). To date, over 3,500 films have been restored, digitised and indexed in our database, which can be accessed online.
In particular, CIMALPES has collected films by outstanding former mountaineers such as Lionel Terray, René Desmaison, Guido Magnone, Patrick Valençant, Jean Afanassieff and Gaston Rebuffat, as well as by prominent figures in mountaineering today. The collection also includes films on sports and tourism, as well as cultural and educational films, which all have a connection to mountains.