A Guide to Global Moviegoing: 7 Unique Cinemas Around the World
When planning a trip abroad, most travelers would rarely think about including a visit to the local cinema. Why spend two hours watching a movie when you could be exploring a city’s other landmarks? Yet, much like visiting a local hole-in-the-wall restaurant or going to a famous art museum, cinemas are a unique gateway into a place’s past and present.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, cinemas have endured as one of the most important communal spaces of the modern age. Whether in big cities, suburban neighborhoods, or quiet towns, the cinema continues to attract people from all walks of life. Like the practice of moviegoing itself, the restored, renovated, and preserved cinema buildings that host these screenings continue to stand the test of time.
We’ve compiled a list of cinemas to look out for on your next trip. Whether you are traveling to Europe, the Americas, or around Asia (even in Manila), these temples dedicated to the cinematic arts are definitely worth the visit.
Cinéma Rif, Tangier
First established as the “Cinema Royal” during the tail-end of the French colonial era, the Cinéma Rif building now hosts the Cinémathèque de Tanger (CDT), an art house movie theater and non-profit. Located smack dab in the Moroccan port city’s iconic Casbah district, the Art Deco structure was renovated by architect Jean-Marc Lalo, who has also worked on cinemas located everywhere from France to Afghanistan. Asides from fostering the local cinema culture through film screenings, the CDT team is also responsible for facilitating festivals, public workshops and housing the largest archive collection of Moroccan and North African films on the planet.
Place du 9 Avril 1947, Tangier, Morocco. (+212) 5399-34683
Filmcasino, Vienna
Sporting a large blue neon sign, Filmcasino has been serving patrons in Vienna’s fifth district since 1911. Having undergone a major renovation in 1954, the cinema has retained its midcentury charm to this day. Everything from the leather couches to the retro chandeliers contribute to the venue’s cozy atmosphere, transporting visitors to the golden age of cinemagoing.
Unlike most theaters in Austria, Filmcasino mostly screens foreign films from all over the world in their original language, making itself a vital hub of world cinema in the European nation. The space also has a charming adjoining bar, often hosting lively pre- and post-screening discussions over drinks.
Margaretenstraße 78, 1050 Vienna. https://www.filmcasino.at
Metrograph, New York
When it first opened its doors in 2016, the Metrograph quickly became a staple of New York City’s vibrant Lower East Side neighborhood. Behind its wide, red-brick façade on Ludlow Street, moviegoers are welcomed into a warm, art-deco inspired space.
It’s two screening rooms, packed with vintage folding theater seats, constructed with wood and upholstered in velvet, regularly play rare gems and film classics. Occasionally, the cinema also organizes public Q&As with famous filmmakers and actors.
While most patrons visit the theater to catch a movie, the Metrograph also has a small bookstore and a cocktail bar in its lobby, as well as a full-sized restaurant on the second floor.
7 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002, United States. https://metrograph.com/
Thai Film Archive, Salaya
If you drive an hour outside of Bangkok, into the university town of Salaya, you will find a unique cluster of old-fashioned buildings perched next to a four-lane road. Replicas of the first cinema houses in France, the United States and Thailand occupy a mini town square, each containing interactive exhibits explaining the history of the medium. Behind this theme park, which also includes a life-size train carriage and several bronze statues of silent film stars, is the Sanbhastra building.
Inside this tall, open-air structure is a library containing countless classic Thai cinematic rarities, several theaters for public screening events, display cases filled with on-set memorabilia and vintage camera equipment, plus a gift shop. Though not as accessible as other museums closer to Bangkok’s city center, the Thai Film Archive is well worth a visit for movie-loving tourists or visitors simply curious to see a one-of-a-kind arts institution.
94 หมู่ที่ 3 Phutthamonthon Sai 5 Road, Salaya, Phutthamonthon District, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. https://www.fapot.or.th/
The Garden Cinema, London
London has no shortage of great cinemas. From the iconic screening rooms in the British Film Institute Southbank to the Prince Charles Cinema in Soho, the city has one of the richest theater-going cultures in the world. Despite its relatively small size, one of the city’s latest offerings, The Garden Cinema on Parker Street, has attracted many visitors with its thoughtful, globally minded, programming and beautiful interior.
After descending a flight of stairs, moviegoers are welcomed to a space more akin to a 1930s speakeasy than a modern repertory cinema. Cocktail tables, private booths and painted murals spanning whole sections of the subterranean cinema’s walls adorn the space. While other retail spaces or cultural institutions may take design cues from the Art Deco movement, The Garden Cinema fully embodies a bygone era.
39-41 Parker Street, London. https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/
Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur
Since the 1990s, Bollywood — the Hindi-language film industry — has become a household name around the world. However, many people don’t realize that the Indian film industry is the largest one in the world, producing around 2000 films annually in more than 20 different languages. Thus, it is no surprise that India is also home to some of the most extravagant screening venues on earth. The Raj Mandir Cinema is a state-of-the-art theater that has been in operation since 1973.
Over the years, it has continued to attract droves of local audiences and tourists who come to see films at the largest single screen theater in the entire Asian continent. Inside its pink Art Moderne façade is a palatial lobby with grand light fixtures, a curved elevated walkway and a gorgeously decorated roof.
B-16, Panch Batti, Bhagwan Das Road, Jaipur, India.
Sinepop, Metro Manila
Though most cinemas in the Metro are located next to or inside busy shopping complexes, boutique micro-cinema Sine Pop is a standalone venue, isolated from the city’s hustle and bustle. Originally built in 1948 as a home for the Eugenio family, the humble structure was repurposed into a single-screen, 48 seat theater. Adopting a minimalist architectural approach for its remodeling, the venue elegantly paired its original concrete structure with wood finishes, as well as a bamboo garden as its center piece.
Unlike larger screening operations that rely on concession profits and ticket sales from blockbuster hits, Sine Pop instead rents out its screen for private viewings while also promoting independent arthouse films for Filipino cinephiles.
14 St Mary, Quezon City, Metro Manila. More information on Facebook