The relationship between space and cinema is ambiguous. Cinema can be seen as a spatial art par excellence. However it can be argued that space has only a very indistinct presence in film. Starting from this proposition, this article explores the ways that can lead to the inclusion of space in films. The text focuses on geographic films, those which aim at showing inhabited spaces and spatialities of inhabiting in order to increase our comprehension of this dimension of the social world. The argument is developed from two viewpoints. First, the weak presence of space in cinematographic production as an environment and of spatiality as an agency both contributing to geographicity is analysed. This situation is related to the predominance of certain particular expressions of cinematographic languages. Second, the idea that it is possible to open new paths towards the association between social sciences of space and cinema is put forward and developed. Such a perspective implies loosening the grip of large-audience fiction cinema (and of its ‘documentary’ avatar). In correlation, this leads to establishing fresh ties with aesthetic trends that might be in resonance with geographicity as well as sciences. Finally, the article proposes a ‘manifesto’ in ten principles for a scientific cinema of the inhabited space.