Onlookers noticed the insects “running over clothes and bags.”
After making headlines and becoming the dread of the French in recent years, bedbugs are back. Discreet but formidable, these little parasitic beasts are particularly fond of public places where there are many people. Public transport, hotels, libraries and, of course, cinemas are among their favorite playgrounds. Their presence is considered a serious health problem because of the inconvenience they cause and the difficulty in getting rid of them, which can literally “ruin people’s lives”.
This Friday, November 7, 2025, it was not only the horror film “Alien, the eighth passenger” which froze the blood of spectators. The pests have invited themselves to the party. “It’s simple, I got eaten!“, tells Antonio, a spectator, to the Actu Paris site. Another noticed the insects”running on (his) clothes and on (his) bags“during the master class following the screening. The presence of these intruders led to a general inspection at the end of the event, confirming bites in several participants who had “felt pain and itching in the arms and neck“.
The mishap occurred during a gala evening at the Cinémathèque française, located in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, in the large 400-person Henri-Langlois room in the presence of the film’s lead actress, Sigourney Weaver. Faced with reports, which even suggest a recurrence of the problem, the establishment ensures to take the subject “very seriously” and promised to intensify its control protocol.
“For more than three years, we have implemented a strict and regular prevention protocol against bedbugs, aimed at protecting our audiences.“, confirms the Cinémathèque which now plans canine detections and steam disinfestations every week, in addition to internal fogging operations, carried out at least once a month.
If you suspect you have come into contact with bedbugs at the cinema, it is crucial to act immediately: put all clothes and bags in a tightly sealed bin bag before entering your home, then head to the nearest laundromat for a wash at 60°C minimum or a run in the hot dryer, as heat is their worst enemy. Non-washable objects can be treated with intense cold (freezer at -18°C for 72 hours). Finally, never forget to immediately report the problem to the management of the establishment concerned.
