Gleaming, velvet seats replace dusty chairs, fresh yellow paint and mosaic tiles adorn the facade while oak floors take the place of old carpets. The Eden Theatre, which closed in 1995, is all set for an inauguratory gala event.
Actresses Juliette Binoche and Nathalie Baye and film director Roman Polanski are reportedly among the stars expected to attend today's ceremony at the seafront theatre in La Ciotat, a town near the sprawling port city of Marseille.
The brothers had previously showcased their work in other places, first at their rich, industrialist father's home and then at other cinemas, but these have since disappeared.
Over the decades, the Eden became both a cinema and theatre, and several French film stars such as Yves Montand and Fernandel performed there in the early days of their careers.
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But it hit hard times in the 1980s when the then owner was killed by crooks trying to steal his money, and movie buffs just stopped going.
Supporters of the old, historic monument never gave up their fight to get it reopened, but it was not until Marseille was named European Capital of Culture for 2013 that local authorities finally agreed to renovations that cost six million euros (USD 8.1 million).
The Eden will operate as a normal cinema run by a private operator, and visitors will also be able to wander through a permanent exhibition outlining the origins of animated pictures.
The black and white, silent movie shows a steam train pulling into a station, and passengers getting in and out.
The story goes that when it was first screened, spectators were so terrified with the image of a train moving towards them that they lept out of their chairs and ran out in panic, though many people have suggested this is an urban legend.
The challenge for the Eden will be to make the 166-seat theatre economically viable, and fans of the building say it should be a larger cultural project that offers educational tours for school children, screens restored films and hosts film festivals.