Reykjavík Grapevine - feb. 2020, Blaðsíða 28

Still Hope
For The Only
Arthouse
Cinema
Cinephiles of Iceland unite, one of the city’s
bi!!est cultural landmarks needs you
Words: Inês Pereira Photo: Art Bicnick
Culture Crisis
Iceland's only art-house (and 80s
blockbuster) cinema is set to close
in late spring.
The year is off to a worrisome start
for culture in Reykjavík. At the end
of January, it was announced that
the only arthouse cinema in Reyk-
javík, Bíó Paradís, would be clos-
ing in three months. The future
remains uncertain for one of the
city’s major cultural hubs, but film
aficionados and Bíó Paradís lovers
are mobilizing to save the cinema.
It all started 10-years ago, the
previous commercial cinema that
operated in the building went
down with the Icelandic economy
in the 2008 financial crash. As the
commercial, blockbuster-centric
cinemas moved to suburban shop-
ping malls, Bíó Paradís was born
in the heart of Reykjavík, pumping
culture through the city’s veins.
New owners, new
problems
In 2010, Bíó Paradís’ proprietors
were able to arrange a great price
for the rent of the building. How-
ever, in 2015 the building was
bought. The new owners planned
on immediately doubling the rent,
but they weren’t allowed. “Luck-
ily, we had just renewed the old
rent agreement with the previous
owners,” discloses the managing
director, Hrönn Sveinsdóttir. “I
don’t know if this was something
they realized before they bought it
but the agreement is for five years,
it’s quite clear”.
They are looking to negoti-
ate with the city
and the state, with
whom they‘ve been
partnered since the
beginning, but who
currently represent
less than 20% of
the cinema’s yearly
financing, with the
rest being raised by
the organization. Hrönn believes
there are several ways this part-
nership can be fruitful, but “the
survival of Bió Paradís is a ques-
tion of political will and courage.”
Besides the obvious problem
with the dramatic increase in rent,
Bíó Paradís has been in need of
maintenance since its opening in
2010. The list of problems is long,
from the seats to the air condition-
ing to the lack of wheelchair ac-
cessibility. In the past three years,
the cinema was finally making
enough money to cover the debt
they incurred purchasing equip-
ment. Money was also finally com-
ing in from all the services the
theatre offers besides film screen-
ings.
The Power Of Culture
The closure of this legendary cul-
tural icon would mean a great loss,
delivering a blow to the democra-
tization of access to culture. For
10 years, Bíó Paradís has been the
foremost venue to welcome films
from all genres from all over the
world, and the only theatre in
Iceland to import and sell the ac-
claimed films that are available
on Video On Demand services and
the National Television Network
in Iceland.
In a show of support and shared
grief, hundreds of people filled
the foyer of Bíó Paradís on Febru-
ary 4th for an event appropriately
called, “Save Bíó Paradís.” In an
open-mic format, cultural icons
and community members shared
ideas, praise, and solutions. The
ma na gement of
Bíó Paradís was
i m p r e s s e d a n d
pleased that such
a movement was
formed so quickly.
“I think it’s impor-
tant that it comes
from the grass-
roots, not some-
thing that we are directly involved
in,” Hrönn emphasizes.
As we learn in Italian film “Cin-
ema Paradiso,” which fittingly
shares a name with Reykjavík’s be-
loved cinema, life is much harder
than the movies, but hopefully, the
magic of film will prevail.
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A creepshot, but for a good cause
“The survival of
Bíó Paradís is
a question of
political will and
courage.”
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