#Floating movie theater with socially distant boats coming to Paris river

A floating movie theater where people can watch from socially distant boats is coming to the Seine river in Paris next week.

The “Cinéma sur l’Eau” — or cinema on the water — will be held July 18 to celebrate the start of Paris Plages, an annual city-run program that creates temporary beaches in the French capital during the summer.

Film buffs will be able to enjoy the free screening from the comfort of 38 electric boats that can hold two to six people each, with social distancing practices in place to make sure those onboard are family or friends.

Parisians can enter a raffle for those seats from Tuesday through July 15.

To complete the outdoor cinema, another 150 people will watch from deckchairs on dry land on a first-come, first-served basis.

Two movies are set to play on the big screen, including “A Corona Story,” a short film about the pandemic that won a contest launched by cinema chain Mk2, which is also organizing the water screening in collaboration with Häagen-Daz.

The second flick is “Le Grand Bain,” a French comedy from 2018 about a group of men who start a synchronized swimming team.

Movie theaters in France were allowed to reopen late last month at 50 percent capacity after closing due to the pandemic.