Before the projector goes out: the uncertain future of Cinema Ideal

It was once Salão Ideal, Cinema Ideal, Cine Camões, Cine Paraíso or, informally, Piolho do Loreto. Born in 1904 on Rua do Loreto, between Chiado and Bairro Altoin Lisbon, at a time when Portugal was still under a monarchy, but was already showing signs of the political and social instability that, six years later, would lead to the establishment of the Republic in Portugal. It was the first theater in the country built from scratch for cinema screenings. It started with silent tapes, which were soon spoken, and was the subject of numerous renovation works – the most recent in 2014, after more than two decades closedpromoted by producer, programmer and founder of Midas Filmes, Pedro Borges, signed by architect José Neves and with the aim of returning cinema to the city.

It was like this, back, the oldest cinema in Lisbon (and one of the longest lasting in the country)with a door facing the street and the city – which has already earned it the AICA Architecture Award, an Honorable Mention from the Vasco Vilalva Award for the recovery of heritage (Gulbenkian Foundation) and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Europa Cinemas association.

Now, 11 years after reopening, it is the manager of Cinema Ideal who says that it is in danger of closing – and that, if that happens, the Cinema and Audiovisual Institute (ICA) is responsible. At issue is the end of the useful life of the cinema’s digital projector, purchased 11 years ago. “We knew, since 2014, that projection material had a useful life of ten years or 30 thousand hours”, explains to Expresso the manager of Cinema Ideal, Pedro Borges. “And we have already passed that limit in one year and in 3 thousand hours.”