Résumé

This article examines the transformations of the cinematheque as a patrimonial institution through the perspectives of technological change, heritage regimes, and institutional reconfiguration. Moving beyond a purely cinephile definition, the cinematheque is approached as a heritage operator whose missions, structures, and economic models evolve according to political, technological, and institutional contexts.
The study contrasts the institutional maturity of pioneering cinematheque models, built through the long-term consolidation of preservation infrastructures, archival expertise, stable public support, and national heritage policies, with constrained models, particularly in African, Maghreb, and Middle Eastern contexts, where cinematheques often evolve under conditions marked by archival urgency, institutional fragility, limited resources, and issues of cultural sovereignty.
Within this perspective, the Ciematheque in Morocco appears as a singular configuration characterized by fragmented institutional temporalities and patrimonial pluralism. The cinémathèque de Tanger emerged as a space of cinephile reactivation and cultural mediation, while the recent reactivation of the Moroccan Cinematheque, now restructured as the Moroccan Cinematheque Foundation reflects a new phase centered on archival preservation, technical expertise, infrastructure development, and national patrimonial coordination. Ultimately, the article argues that these differentiated heritage regimes coexist in a complementary manner, contributing to the progressive structuring of Morocco’s cinematic heritage ecosystem.