"No popcorn on the floor" takes us behind the scenes of the independent cinema in the south-western French town of Bayonne - the Atalante.

The Atalante is a state of mind, the fight against the industrialisation and merchandising of the 7th art ; the room for showing is just next the room as an Irish pub, where spectators open up their hearts, imagine a new world, rebel or simply come for a slcie of humanity.

As the year unfold we find the manager, Ramuntxo, facing up to his responsibilites.Choosing the films to schedule, managing the staff and the finances, telling the right words to comfort everybody, screaming to make himself heard, he fluctuates between laughter and tears, between boundless energy and moments of doubt even wanting to let go of. By his side, Jean Georges, a good-natured projectionist lives surrounded by his reels in the half-light of a tiny projection booth. Around them, many likeable characters go with them to fight with this obsession of a different cinema.

More serious issues are at stake behind the daily habits of his band of jolly chaps. How to face the pressure from some distributors ? How to face the openning of a multiplex cinema just across the way ? How to avoid redundancies ? In short, how to remain independent in an era where the slightest mistake can result in a cinema closing ?