 Cinemas of the past that look to the future
by Elisabetta Brunella
In issue 219 of the DGT online informer we focused on Norway, reporting interesting experiences of environmental sustainability implemented in this country.
To the accounts of experiences that have come to us from Trondheim, Haugesund and Oslo, we can now add that of the Verdensteatret of Tromsø, which shows how in Norway, a territory that boasts a practically unique tradition of cinemas managed by municipalities, the link between theaters and local communities continues to be very close.
In the city of 75,000 inhabitants, 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, which is considered the capital of Norwegian Lapland, in 2016 the Verdens hosted an event open to politicians and citizens focused on the prospects of green mobility and, not by chance, introduced by a documentary significantly entitled “Bikes vs Cars”.
If the structure that stands on the central Storgata is on the one hand projected into the future both for its sensitivity to environmental sustainability and for the cutting-edge technology (it offers 4K digital projection), on the other hand it has its roots in the early days of the history of cinema: it was in fact inaugurated in 1916, when it offered screenings accompanied by live music.
Today, not only has it maintained its original character of a single-screen cinema, but it has remained faithful to tradition and continues to give particular emphasis to archive films, especially during the Silent Film Days held every year in April.
Finland also has a lot to teach in terms of sensitivity to environmental issues that comes from small and historic cinemas with only one screen.
Founded in 1954, the Kauttuan Kuva, in the Southwest of the country, has not used its historicity as a shield to justify a rearguard role in the path towards the reduction of the environmental impact of cinemas. Instead, it has taken an active role, not only renewing equipment and materials in the name of energy saving, but has also installed a number of solar panels on the roof that make it self-sufficient with respect to electricity needs (including heating).
Even the Kuvala, in the town of Uusikaupunki, overlooking the Gulf of Bothnia, despite having operated since 1924 in a delightful wooden building with an old-fashioned feel, has not shied away from the new needs in terms of energy saving and has installed an insulating floor that has reduced the costs and emissions of the heating system.
More recent is the structure that houses, in Espoo, the Kino Tapiola, a single-screen cinema with 165 seats, mainly committed to quality programming. However, it is a protected building: it is in fact one of the few cinemas built in the 1950s in the Helsinki region that has maintained its original style. While the architectural aspect has remained intact, the adoption of the most modern technologies has made it possible to reduce its impact on the environment thanks to work carried out in 2022.
At the base, there is an accurate project based on the calculation of C02 emissions connected to the various systems - electrical, hydraulic and heating - as well as to waste disposal, the methods of transport of spectators and the management of the café and wine shop.
Proof that the conservation of the architectural heritage is not in contradiction with the most current needs for the protection of ecosystems.
THE CINEMA MARKET IN FINLAND
* admissions of all domestic titles screened during the year
Source: Finnish film Foundation
Source for data on population: Eurostat
THE CINEMA MARKET IN NORWAY
* admissions of all domestic titles screened during the year
Source: Film & Kino
Source for data on population: Eurostat
Source for euro currency exchange rate: Banca d'Italia
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The film that saw Paola Cortellesi’s debut as director – “C’è ancora domani/There’s still tomorrow” – also arrived in the Baltic States last spring, thanks to BestFilm. We have talked about it with Jevgeni Joks, Director of Distribution.
