Movies shown under a night sky or in old movie cinemas can help revitalize community life. Today we share how residents in three Czech communities are restoring local movie cinemas. In Karlovy Vary, a group of movie lovers is trying to save a historic amphitheater where world-famous actors like Mel Gibson and Uma Thurman have watched movies. In Chotěvice, near the Krkonoše Mountains, a group of residents launched a unique summer cinema — likely the only one in the country to project films onto the wall of a mortuary. And in Nové Hrady in southern Bohemia, a group is using historic projectors to screen classic films. All of these initiatives were made possible thanks to support from Via’s “Our Community” program.
Open-air movie theaters are becoming increasingly popular across the Czech Republic. Sharing a movie experience is an opportunity to meet and chat with people from the neighborhood.
Karlovy Vary: “We didn’t want to let this unique natural amphitheater disappear”
The summer cinema in Karlovy Vary was established 80 years ago for the very first edition of the city’s now famous International Film Festival. In June of this year, screenings were once again launched at this unique natural amphitheater, which has a seating capacity of 3,500.
The reopening of the Karlovy Vary Summer Cinema is the work of the “Letňák žije” association, which took over management of the amphitheater just under a year ago. “With the help of local residents and professionals, we cleaned up and restored the site, and thanks to the support of Via Foundation, we are now reopening it to the public,” said Petr Prokop, chairman of the “Letňák žije” association. He aims to revitalize the cinema by holding cultural events and making it a space for community activities as well. The association will also collaborate with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Chotěvice: “We are probably the only group showing movies at a mortuary"
In Chotěvice, a village in the foothills of the Krkonoše Mountains, Children’s Day festivities on June 1st and the town fair used to be the only summer entertainment. Then local resident Matěj Kaj Voňka began looking for a way to liven up community life in the village. Last year, he and a group of neighbors set up a summer movie theater in the parking lot behind the Church of St. Peter and Paul and screened films every two weeks. “I think we’re the only ones in the Czech Republic who screen movies at a mortuary,” said Matěj with a smile. The mortuary is part of a church that now belongs to singer Richard Krajč, who is restoring it. The residents of Chotěvice initially considered a mobile cinema, but then, with the help of a grant from Via, they purchased a projector and set up their own summer cinema. To maintain a community atmosphere, they have kept movies free for everyone. “We can tell that people were enjoying it. We’ve had a great turnout and people have sent us donations after every movie to help fund future screenings,” he went on. “What made me happiest was when we screened the Czech film ‘Waves’ on August 20th, the anniversary of the Russian occupation in 1968. I went to the district archive in Trutnov and took copies of period photographs from the occupation right here in our region. I showed them to the audience before the movie and it created a wonderful atmosphere,” he said. After summer ends, the group moves the movie nights into the local community hall.
Nové Hrady: “We show classic films on film reels, like movies from the 1960s”
In local movie theater in Nové Hrady, a small town in South Bohemia, had been out of operation for a 11 years. Although the auditorium was occasionally used for school recitals or cultural events, film screenings had come to a halt because the town could not afford to digitize operations, and people preferred to travel to nearby towns for better picture quality. Then Marie Barešová from the Rekino Foundation approached the town’s cultural center with the idea of reviving the cinema. “We organized a meeting with residents and circulated questionnaires. The responses showed that locals missed having a traditional cinema in town,” said Květa Jarolímková, director of the Nové Hrady Cultural and Information Center.
We're grateful to Via Foundation for the funding and for the support of staff with the grant administration process, which you don't always see with other funders.
Thanks to support from Via’s “Our Community” program, residents of Nové Hrady were able to repair the projectors, pay the movie operators, and organize an Open House. What makes the Nové Hrady cinema unique is its classic mechanical projection from film reels, which the center obtains from the National Film Archive. This year the focus is on films from the 1960s.
