CINEMA means the experience of seeing a film in a cinema. The cinema qua building, as the agency of this experience, is part and parcel of the word cinema. The end of the cinemas is but the end of film, since there will be nowhere to see one. The diversity of the cinemas of Tehran in terms of style, size, and type is/was outstanding.
LIKE A SURREALIST POEM: Atlantic, Pacific, Diamond, Empire, Uranus, Rivoli, Universal, Shahr-e Farang, Shahr-e Qesseh, Radio City, Golden City, Royal, Silvana, Miami, Boulevard, Polydor, Moulin Rouge, Monaco, Natalie, Plaza, Golden Gate, Charlie, Majestic, Mahtab.
CINEMA UNIVERSAL / PARS – ENGHELAB ROUNDABOUT — one of the few cinemas whose name did not change, so its original graphics survive. A distinctive Tehran facade that should be kept and protected — CINEMA MIAMI / TEHRAN – IMAM HOSSEIN ROUNDABOUT. CINEMA BOULEVARD. Screening of Pontecorvo’s THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS at the 1971 Cinema Shahr-e Qesseh (City of Stories) after the revolution. This smaller cinema, attached to Cinema Shahr-e Farang (opposite page top), was also destroyed in a fire. The passage (arcade) of Cinema Universal — the mixing of arcades and shops and offices with cinemas in Tehran is quite interesting.Cinemas SHAHR-E FARANG and SHAHR-E QESSEH that were destroyed in a fire. Note the neighbouring building to the right, demolished recently. Nothing remains of the fine corner in this image. CINEMA SILVANA / MELLAT – SHOHADA ROUNDABOUT. CINEMA RIVOLI / SAHRA – SHARI’ATI. CINEMA MONACO / SHAHED – Piruzi district.
