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Cin'énergie's two riders standing with their loaded touring tandem, front and rear panniers, in front of a building
Photo: Cin'énergie (tant-d-aime.com) — via tant-d-aime.com

Cin'énergie

France · Expedition

Active last verified 2026-09 An expedition project rather than a continuous venue: one documented crossing in 2014, and a new journey announced for 2026.
Topology not documented
1 pedalling station (one audience member at a time)Documented
  • Single source, medium confidence

Websitehttps://tant-d-aime.com

Cin'énergie is a French–Argentine travelling cinema powered by one pedalling spectator, created by Maylis Mercat and Lucia Palenzuela. In 2014 the pair set off with it from France towards Argentina.

Key facts

  • Format

    Single-rider, audience-powered mobile cinema1

    Documented

  • Founders

    Maylis Mercat (engineer, ex-INSA Lyon) and Lucia Palenzuela (Argentina)1

    Documented

  • 2014 route

    France → Spain → Morocco → Mauritania → Senegal → Atlantic crossing → Argentina1

    Documented

  • Current status

    New journey announced for 20261

    Documented

Mercat, an engineer trained at INSA Lyon, and Palenzuela, from Argentina, set off in 2014 on a long journey between their two countries of origin, crossing the Atlantic by hitchhiking on boats 1. The project is documented at the level of its concept and route; no published source describes the equipment used on that crossing 1. The founders' site, last showing activity in February 2026, states "je décide donc de repartir sur les routes en 2026"; no dates, route or equipment for that journey have been published 1.

Specifications

What do these labels mean?

FieldValueConfidenceSources
Pedalling stations1 audience member pedals at a timeDocumented1
Generator / buffering technologynot disclosedNot disclosed1
Projector / power drawnot disclosedNot disclosed1
2014 expedition routeFrance, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Atlantic crossing, ArgentinaDocumented1

In their own words

"Ensemble, nous créons le Cin'énergie, un cinéma ambulant qui fonctionne avec l'énergie d'un(e) spectateur(ice) qui pédale. Avec ce projet, nous partons en 2014 pour un long voyage entre nos deux pays d'origine, en passant par l'Espagne, le Maroc, la Mauritanie, le Sénégal, nous traversons ensuite l'Atlantique en bateau stop et continuons notre route vers l'Argentine…" — Together, we create Cin'énergie, a travelling cinema that runs on the energy of a spectator who pedals. With this project, we set off in 2014 on a long journey between our two countries of origin, through Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal; we then cross the Atlantic hitchhiking on boats and continue on our way to Argentina… 1

The tandem propped on coastal rocks above the sea, the two riders resting beside it
Photo: Cin'énergie (tant-d-aime.com) — via tant-d-aime.com
The two riders seated on the ground at a forest rest stop with their panniers and gear
Photo: Cin'énergie (tant-d-aime.com) — via tant-d-aime.com
The loaded tandem parked below a painted church façade of icon frescoes, the two riders seated beside it
Photo: Cin'énergie (tant-d-aime.com) — via tant-d-aime.com
The operators' own watercolour emblem: two riders on a loaded touring tandem, panniers front and rear
Image: Cin'énergie (tant-d-aime.com) — via tant-d-aime.com
  • Cinecicleta's two riders on loaded touring bicycles, one towing a trailer, along a dusty dirt road (Heraldo de Aragón, 2018)

    Cinecicleta

    Active last verified 2026-09

    Comparable long-distance touring/expedition pedal-cinema format

  • Cinécyclo pedal-powered screening during an African tour

    Cinécyclo

    Active last verified 2026-09

    Fellow French single-rider touring cinema, different route and scale

  • Dusk open-air screening at Camping Croix-Scaille, 2025 edition: a fairy-lit pedal bike at the left, audience on benches facing the screen

    Au Tour du Cycle ("Je pédale pour mon film")

    Active last verified 2026-09

    Fellow francophone community pedal-cinema project

Sources

  1. [1]Tant d'Aime — la team (Cin'énergie)tant-d-aime.com

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