Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
posted June 17, 2015 11:02 AM
On one or two occasions I've referred to a campaign I started to reopen the council-owned David Lean Cinema in Croydon, that was closed in 2011 due to arts-related cuts.
We eventually gained some cooperation from the council, which enabled us to start a limited reopening from March last year, operating as a non-profit community venture mostly organised and staffed by volunteers. Of course modern films nearly always have to be screened in digital form, but I'm posting here because we have been upgrading the cinema's 35mm projectors. Our first 35mm presentation will fittingly be David Lean's SUMMER MADNESS on Thursday 25 June at 2.30 and 7.30pm. We checked the BFI's print yesterday and were delighted to find that it's a 2003 restoration that closed the Venice Film Festival. We hope to have guests from the David Lean Foundation, who helped to fund the restoration. The film was shot in Venice and starred Katharine Hepburn. It was Davis Lean's favourite film of all he directed.
The photo shows our Chief Projectionist Stephen and teenage projectionist Ella in front of one of the cinema's Kinoton projectors. The David Lean is now the only venue in Croydon that's equipped to present 35mm.
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
posted June 22, 2015 10:48 PM
Thanks for the good wishes and interest. If Brian or anyone else is able to attend at 2.30pm, if they contact me SOON, I might be able to offer a spare ticket that someone has that's in an ideal position, unlike the ones remaining on the website which are close to the front.
posted June 23, 2015 06:20 AM
Sorry I didn't post earlier, but I can't make it as I am due to be watching the play at Richmond Theatre on Thursday. Sorry to miss it.