Cinémathequè

New public cinema and workshop space will preserve and teach the crafts of film projection, analogue editing and shooting on film

Ciné-Real Cinematheque, a new home for analogue cinema inside Ümit & Son, Hackney’s much-loved cine-film shop.

Equipped with a 35mm projector, a 16mm Steenbeck editing table and a 35mm Moviola, the cinematheque will be a working space where the knowledge and skills of celluloid filmmaking can be passed on to a new generation.

The cinematheque will run hands-on workshops covering:

  • Super 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film projection
  • Editing on a 16mm Steenbeck and 35mm Moviola
  • Shooting on Super 8mm and 16mm film

Its screening room will also operate as a public cinema, initially presenting one film each week from Ciné-Real’s remarkable archive. Each screening will offer audiences the increasingly rare experience of seeing an original film print projected as it was intended.

The opening is the culmination of years of work by filmmaker Liam Saint-Pierre and projectionist Ümit Mesut, who founded Ciné-Real in 2011. Their recent journey to Los Angeles while making their documentary The Last Picture Shop strengthened their determination to create a permanent space in London where analogue films can be watched and the skills behind them taught, practised and preserved.

“Our trip to Los Angeles reminded us that film survives when people create places for it to be seen and shared. We came home determined to build that place here in Hackney. The cinematheque is about passing these skills on, bringing people together and helping Ümit’s extraordinary shop continue into the future.”
— Liam Saint-Pierre and Ümit Mesut, Ciné-Real

At a time when the equipment, knowledge and independent spaces associated with celluloid are rapidly disappearing, the Ciné-Real Cinematheque will bring exhibition, education and preservation together under one roof.

Become a member and support the cinematheque

Membership directly supports the cinematheque’s screenings, workshops and preservation work, while helping to secure the future of Ümit & Son. By joining, audiences can play a practical part in keeping film alive and the shop open.

To become a member and support the Ciné-Real Cinematheque, visit:
https://www.cine-real.com/pages/membership

Location

Ciné-Real Cinematheque at Ümit & Son
35 Lower Clapton Road
London E5 0NS