It’s a sad day (year) for cinephiles and the local film industry. Cinema Centenario has announced that they will be permanently dimming their marquee and closing up as a result of the pandemic.
In true Cinema Centenario fashion, the announcement came by way of a heartfelt post on their social media accounts that detailed the small but mighty theater’s journey from their first week, up until the day the curtains closed.
According to their farewell message, the difficult decision to shut down operations came from a place of sustainability and concern for their patrons.
The post read, “Malaking factor sa aming desisyon ang safety and sustainability, kahit payagan pang magbukas ang mga sinehan, it won’t work sa aming kinalalagyan. Hindi biro ang safety concerns na hatid ng pandemyang ito kaya umabot kami sa desisyong ito. Manatili po sana tayong ligtas at healthy sa lahat ng pagkakataon.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2q0-S3BjWW/
Pre-pandemic, Cinema Centenario was a haven for Filipino film lovers. The theater’s mission was to provide a place for audiences to enjoy local films and meet like-minded individuals who shared the passion for Philippine cinema. The Maginhawa micro-theater served as a place where audiences and filmmakers could interact with one another and discover hidden gems from the past and new projects from homegrown talents.
Although the theater’s final credits have rolled, we doubt that this is the last we’ll ever see of them. Hanggang sa muli, Cinema Centenario. We’ll be keeping an eye out for your post-pandemic sequel.
Header image courtesy of Cinema Centenario Facebook
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Writer: ANDREIANA YUVALLOS
