Ankara's old movie theater bids farewell
ANKARA
Kızılırmak, one of the oldest movie theaters in the Turkish capital Ankara, bid farewell to moviegoers after its final session before relocating to a new location.
The doors of the 64-year-old venue, which started operating in 1960 on Kızılırmak Street in Kızılay and screened thousands of films from Turkish Yeşilçam to Hollywood and festival films, was closed after the screening of the last film on Aug. 22.
Can Köksal, the owner of Kızılırmak Movie Theater told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the building where the theater is located will be demolished and therefore they stopped screening. Providing information about the history of the theater, Köksal stated that the building was rented by Americans living in Ankara in the 1960s and converted into a cinema.
Stating that movie theaters, which he called "street cinemas," are no longer seen and that they are now located in shopping malls, Köksal said, "The economic life of these cinemas ended a long time ago. We had to end this and close it down."
He said that the building where the cinema is located will be demolished, adding, “Buildings that survive with 50-to 60-year-old concrete or the ones built before 1990, need to be closed or demolished. Of course, there are buildings that need to be reinforced and kept alive. However, since this was not a building that could be evaluated in that context, the decision was to demolish it and build another, more economical building.”
Stating that the moviegoers who regularly came to the cinema were very upset, Köksal said: "The regulars of the cinema were very upset. But we were already in a position where we could not continue. For example, we were showing European movies or art films 20 years ago. Since the importers of these types of films established their own cinemas and offered these types of films to the audience in their own venues, they cut relations with us. And since the importers of these types of films had decreased to one or two, it was almost impossible for us to show these types of films."
Stating that movie theaters provide people with the opportunity to watch movies as well as the opportunity to socialize and that this was important in the past, Köksal noted that many people started watching movies on the Internet at home after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"When you come to the theater, you socialize, you watch with your friends. You discuss and talk about issues related to the movie. You broaden your horizons," he added.
Köksal, who stated that the building, which was a meeting point for many people in the past and with which they had an emotional attachment, will be moved to another location and reopened, said, "This is just a building. What made this theater special was the warm atmosphere inside. I believe that we will have the same atmosphere again when we move."
‘I've been here for 12 years’
Vedat Şahin, the projectionist of Kızılırmak Movie Theater, said that there are four movie theaters in the building and that he turns on the projection devices that show movies early in the morning. Stating that he makes routine checks after turning on the devices, he said, "After checking, I arrange the movies to be played. Then I sit and wait for the screenings.”
Şahin said that he started working as a projectionist to earn extra income in addition to his profession.
"I retired from my own job in 2005. After retirement, I started working here during the day. I have been doing this job for a total of 37 years and I have been at this theater for the last 12 years. However, since this place will be closed and everything has been converted to digital elsewhere, there is no need for such projectionists anymore. Due to digital automation, movies start and end on their own. Therefore, I will now take a second retirement and rest."
