If a few years ago the ruin porn, This photographic movement that delighted in capturing buildings in decline, vestiges of post-industrial areas or cities in low hours, demonstrated its tremendous appeal, now it seems that a new modality is opening: that of photograph abandoned cinemas. Because, is there something more beautiful to portray, even if it is already in full decline, those places designed for the best of entertainment?
Simon Edelstein must have thought something like this when, 14 years ago, he began to portray facades, movie theaters, rickety seats, moldy posters and more. delicatessen moviegoers throughout 30 countries. The result of the journey is Abandoned cinemas in the world (Editorial Jonglez), a volume that obviously stops in California and India, but also in Egypt, Romania, France, Spain or Cuba (Havana has 135 cinemas, the largest concentration in the world if we take into account its population). Rooms that survive, and others converted into bingo halls, restaurants, shops or bookstores. Some in churches, a phenomenon that occurs especially in the United States, just the opposite of the always secular France, where more churches are transformed into projection rooms.
Many have simply been abandoned and exhibit as the only sign of resistance those fabulous labels whose decrepitude fails to eclipse the typographic genius of their authors. In this decadent and beautiful route there is also a place for drive-ins (in the 1950s there were almost 5,000 in the United States distributed throughout all its states) and for some almost forgotten professions, such as poster artists or projectionists. In short, a fascinating journey through what was the golden age of cinemas. But also, and why not? A warning to sailors to keep going to the rooms that we have left. Because, as Luis Eduardo Aute used to sing: “Cinema, cinema, cinema / More cinema please / That everything in life is cinema / That everything in life is cinema / And dreams / Cinema are”
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