The documentary The Last Forest, which portrays the daily life of the Yanomami indigenous people, will be the last film to be shown in the annex of Espaço Itaú de Cinema, on Rua Augusta, in São Paulo, tonight (16). The space where the cinema is located, a historic building, was sold to a developer and is now the subject of a legal dispute. The court gave until tomorrow (17) for the city hall to explain itself about the requests for listing the area. The deadline given to the city hall met a request from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which wants to prevent the property from being vacated. The petition requests that the area be considered a Cultural Protection Zone, which would prevent the cinema from being closed. The announcement of the deactivation provoked protests in the cultural environment, which gathered around 50 thousand signatures. The Associação Paulista de Cineastas issued a letter, signed by Beto Brant, Marina Person, among other personalities, asking that the space not be closed. Since its inauguration in 1995, the annex has held almost 94,000 sessions. In addition to showing independent films, it promoted courses, debates and projects, such as Escola no Cinema, Sessão Cinefila, Clube do Professor and Curtas às Seis, as well as screenings at the International Film Festival. The programming director of the Annex, Adhemar Oliveira, says that he is waiting for the movement of society and Justice on whether or not to close the site. “The closure of a cinema is always sad for those who work in the cinema, as well as the spectators. It is a place that brings together present and past feelings from the affective memories of all spectators, ”he said. In a note, Espaço Itaú de Cinema regretted the end of activities at the property. He emphasized that the opening of the space helped to revitalize culture and commerce in the region, previously characterized by prostitution. * With information from Leandro Martins, reporter for Rádio Nacional
Agência Brasil
Folha Nobre - Desde 2013 - ©