Paris is one of the world's arthouse cinema hotspots, but falling attendance levels mean beloved independent operators must innovate and invest to survive.

The centre of the City of Light has the highest density of silver screens in the world per capita and arguably one of the most cinephile local populations.

That has long supported its dense network of picture houses -- around 80 today -- where film lovers can catch classics and auteur productions in sometimes cramped conditions and with spartan decoration.

But with the rise of streaming, the popularity of high-end home cinema equipment, as well as cut-throat competition from deep-pocketed multiplex chains, the independents are facing an existential crisis.

Nowhere can the transformation of the sector be seen more clearly than the Ch

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