The founder and artistic director of Born Bad Records, a music label turning 20 in 2026, is also a devoted collector of film reels. This passion was passed down from their father, who in the 1970s recovered a traveling cinema from a flea market. As a child, they watched animated films and movies in the style of itinerant projectionists who once traveled from village to village to show newsreels. After their father’s death, they inherited his projector and a collection of reels, a shared interest with their siblings, who also collect vintage items like scooters, motorcycles, and old cars. They had to learn how to operate the projector, mount the reels, repair them, and even create collages from the films. Each film, on average, requires three reels, stored in tin boxes. In an era dominated by digital media, some question the value of dedicating large spaces in their homes to physical film collections, which could easily fit on a USB drive. The same can be said for their vinyl records and books. However, this collector has always been drawn to collecting, starting in adolescence. They began amassing films and reels through trade fairs, connecting with other collectors who exchanged 16 mm films. This accumulation is also linked to their uncertainty about the future of Born Bad Records, despite its 20th anniversary. They have always considered an exit strategy, and the film collection became a kind of backup plan. If the label were to cease operations, they envisioned returning to the tradition of traveling cinema, projecting films in nursing homes and retirement homes using their extensive collection. Projecting a 16 mm film requires a great deal of preparation and creates a ritualized viewing experience. It transforms the projector operator into a kind of performer, similar to those who opt for vinyl turntables to reclaim a tactile connection to music. Watching a film, even one they’ve seen before, becomes a mini-epic, with the mechanical noise of the projector and the flickering, sometimes unstable images evoking a contemplative state. The imperfections—reels that jump, images marked by wear—add to the experience, reinforcing a desire to savor things and maintain control over what one chooses to watch and listen to. Among the films they have projected most often is Blue Jeans (1958), a short film by Jacques Rozier shot in Cannes with two men on a Vespa. They are particularly proud of their 16 mm copy of La Maison des bois (1971), a series by Maurice Pialat, a filmmaker they have long admired. They also own a copy of Ni vu... ni connu... (1958) by Yves Robert, the first film in which Louis de Funès played the leading role—this copy was once owned by the actor himself. They also acquired two copies of Cœurs verts (1966) by Édouard Luntz, a film of great importance to them and to Born Bad Records. They will be discussing these collections and more at Born Bad Records’ event at Rock en Seine in Saint-Cloud on August 29 at 5:20 p.m. Later, on October 3, they will be at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, celebrating 20 years of Born Bad Records with performances by Frustration, Gwendoline, Zombie Zombie, Star Feminine Band, Forever Pavot, and Bryan's Magic Tears.