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Israel’s aspiring ‘film capital’ is losing its movie theaters
posted by
Michael Zoldessy
on
August 19, 2009 at 3:45 pm
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — Despite recent enthusiasm for the film market there, Jerusalem has been losing its theaters.
Ever since Nir Barkat won the mayoral race in Jerusalem in November, the new administration under his helm has gone out of its way to prove the city is vital and has much to offer young people. Barkat spoke of Jerusalem as a “film capital” and hosted Hollywood producers to persuade them to shoot movies there.
But even if this dream comes true, Jerusalemites may soon be forced to go elsewhere to watch these movies. The capital is turning into the periphery, culturally speaking, in the number of functioning movie screens. In just three months, six screening halls in the Malha shopping mall will close to make way for the H&M clothing chain. And a serious threat of closure hangs over the Lev Smadar, a historic and much-loved institution, active as movie house for the last 81 years in the German Colony.
Read more at Haaretz.
Comments (1)
This sounds exactdly like what’s happening here in the United States, and throughout the world.