Almost a decade ago (ok, just seven years and some change) I wrote in one of the first articles expressly dedicated to this humble blog about one of the cinemas I had experienced growing up, Cinema Timiș (tee-mee-sh). It was a quaint, yet somber affair, as the cinema was giving its dying performances in front of three-people audiences before closing down in 2017. Now, freshly renovated and reopened after an investment of more than four million Euros, it co-hosted “Les Films de Cannes à Timișoara”, with a full-house and the presence of international movie stars. How things change!
But what does the cinema look and feel like in person? Well, that’s what I was there to find out.
A renaissance
I don’t like the whole “a new revolution in Timișoara” cliches which always come about when something of note happens in the city (the 1989 Romanian revolution against the communist regime started here). So I’ll use a different cliche crutch: the renaissance.
We find ourselves in an age of cultural renaissance in the city, aided by the title of European Capital of Culture and the money that has come with it. The tens of events taking place throughout Timișoara on almost any given day give the sense of a bustling place and have drawn people from all around over these last few months. Until the title is passed on in early 2024, the blockbuster attraction will be the Constantin Brâncuși exhibit at the National Art Museum, which marks the first time so many of the artist’s works have been assembled in one place on “home soil”.
Part of this celebration of culture is the revival of historical local cinemas, which started last year with Cinema Victoria. The centerpiece of this revival should be Cinema Studio, which was scheduled for reopening this year, but will most certainly be delayed until 2024. Our appetites (sadly, not literally) will be whetted until then by the just reopened Cinema Timiș and, potentially, the neighbourhood affair that is Cinema Dacia.
Timiș opened to much fanfare last week, on the 13th of October, with a screening of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (2023). It was preceded by a concert inspired by its soundtrack and performed by Soul Serenade, alongside Timișoara-born artist Hanno Höfer, making for a suitably grand opening event. The weekend continued with two sold-out performances of Romanian movies, so auspicious beginnings. The real event, however, was about to come.
les films de Cannes
It was a year ago to the day that I was setting foot for the first time in Cinema Victoria and, as it happens, it was to watch a movie screened as part of “Les Films de Cannes à Timișoara”. Now the festival of sorts has mostly been split between Victoria and Timiș and I was present at the red carpet opening which took place at the latter. The opening movie was the same one that opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry (2023), in the presence of not only the director herself, but also the initiator of the festival in 2010, filmmaker Cristian Mungiu [R.M.N (2022), Bacalaureat (2016), 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007)]. It was a sold out affair once again, with many more exciting events and movies to follow these days, in the presence of other important directors, actors, writers and producers from around the world.
As far as last night’s event goes, Jeanne du Barry, which also stars Maïwenn alongside the (un)disgraced Johnny Depp, the movie was ok, but not a standout. It was beautiful to look at, with Versailles exteriors and interiors matched by lush costumes and solid performances. However, after seeing the likes of Corsage (2022), Spencer (2021) or The Favourite (2018), powerfully irreverent takes on the life of royals of history, JdB felt tame, old-school to a fault. I reckon it’s Maïwenn’s self-confessed fascination and love for the character [which she was inspired to explore after Sofia Copolla’s Marie Antoinette (2006)] that worked against her, as she dialed down the controversy, offering Jeanne a kind of historical impunity.
This aside, it’s very much worth noting that the Q&A after the movie stretched longer than the movie itself, Maïwenn engaging generously and in great detail with the audience, with the assistance and translation of Ioana Dragomirescu, coordinator of Cinema Victoria and Cinema Timiș. This made for a memorable experience.
The Atmosphere
I think what stood out most was the intimate atmosphere of the whole event, in spite of the fact that there were over five hundred people present. If you made it to the place a bit earlier and didn’t have to queue outside, you could see everyone buzzing about, from the cinema team, which had to coordinate another event at Cinema Victoria at the same time, to Mungiu himself, No task was too minor for the latter, as I saw him walking about with a red cord that was needed at the entrance, taking pictures and chatting with fans, and impromptu donning a “Cinefil de Cimișoara” t-shirt (“Timișoara cinephile”; Cimișoara is the name of the city in regional Banat dialect).
After the Q&A, which ended close to midnight, some tens of people gathered in the futuristic looking lobby and enjoyed a glass of wine while talking with one of the several cinema people around – Maiwenn, Mungiu, Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days), Alina Șerban (Housekeeping for Beginners). This kind of access feels unreal, but the leisurely mood made it all seem like a normal night out, with mingling and small talk.
Then, I heard someone tell Mungiu “You’ve changed my life” as they squeezed both his hands upon leaving. So not just small talk.
The New Timiș
Walking back home, I started to think about what this cinema adds to the city landscape. Its ultra-central location, a mere hundred meters from the emblematic Timișoara cathedral and a couple more to the Opera building, is fantastic. The subdued “Cinema Timiș” signage, dark grey text on a light grey background, does well to underscore the colorful interiors staring back at you from behind large glass panes. Inside, the futuristic undulating decors gave me flashbacks from The Jetsons, with a white-yellow-dark blue color scheme featuring flashy light highlights.
Once past the foyer, you reach the generous lobby which features a ticket office, a coffee bar and some seating opportunities. It’s a well lit area, with glass walls on both sides giving you a sense of vibrant space. Not everything is operating and quite in its place yet though, as the opening of the venue was prioritized to serve the Cannes films, with details still needing some ironing out.
There are three screening areas – one, the 529 seater hall dedicated to movies, concerts and other cultural events; a multifunctional hall for up to 120 people in the basement area; three smaller rooms aiming to serve more contained events and workshops. I only witnessed the main hall and will follow up at some point after getting a sense of the basement dwellings.
The interior of one of the largest event venues in the city makes an immediate impression. It features a modern and sophisticated design, with an amphitheater-style seating arranged in cascading rows – good viewing angles all around. The seat colouring alternates between a rich shade of red and white highlights. The walls boast a combination of geometric wooden panels interspersed with sleek, zigzagging light fixtures, which add a contemporary touch to the ambiance and the overhead lights radiate a warm hue, creating a cozy atmosphere.
The Letdown
The seats. As soon as I sat down, I knew they did not live up to the surroundings. Stiff, narrow, with shared armrests that are too short and include a poorly placed cup holder, they are a step down even from the standards of Cinema Victoria. Any half-decent cinema chain offers more comfortable seating and more upscale ones, which frequently include beautiful fixturing and reclining seats, make these feel like beds of thorns. I exaggerate, but it’s truly disappointing that a premiere venue like this does not offer a higher quality seating experience. I mean, what else do you pay money for when going to the cinema?
Definitely not popcorn, which remains on the same list with knives and flammables as far as the administration of these rebirthed cinemas goes. You know my stance on the matter and while an event like last night’s might justify a more pretentious setting, to me most movies are not meant to be experienced like this. It’s a needless “perk” that I could only see justified if these cinemas were fully self-financed, which they are not.
OK, rant over. No need to start another revolution (argh!) in Timișoara over popcorn. Yet. Also these are not serious reasons to shy away from a shiny new cinema plum in the heart of the city – neither the popcorn, nor the disappointing seating. That’s not what it’s all about, but rather gathering a community around films and cinema.
Roundup
I am looking forward to seeing the venue reach its potential and running on all…reels. The immediate plans are for the venue to be open only on the weekends, with a focus on concerts and big cinema events. That’s a bit sad, but it asks the same question I (and others) posed when the plans to reopen five “multi-functional” cinema locations was first announced – is there enough of an audience? That’s something on the minds of those running the venues as well and it will be worth following whether their outreach and engagement strategies can generate enough of a pull.
Glancing over the people from last night, I found them middle aged, with the odd groupings of teenagers, but I don’t know how much of a “movie” audience it was – Maïwenn entered the cinema almost anonymously and most people were looking at their phones, rather than using them to take pictures as she stepped inside. Maybe we’re just shy, though, still a bit shellshocked at seeing people we might only see on the big screen in flesh and blood and “Cinefil de Cimișoara” t-shirts. Let’s see how it grows on us.
Of course, for all that’s beautiful and new, something becomes forever out of reach. My childhood, for one, but also all the memories of that simpler time – when cinema tickets cost 1 Euro, pre-packaged popcorn tasted like happiness and movies were unadulterated joy with only the sound of a running reel for company. I’m a practical person, I don’t think you can recreate feelings of the past, so I am certain that many movie goers of all ages will experience their own defining cinema experiences in this modern venue.
It’s something to be treasured and I reckon it’s our duty as cinema goers to show that it is important to us moving forward.
tributary stu 