[Mini Theater Revisited] 28th Shibuya style trend, hot summer of mini theaters... Part 5 Bunkamura movie theater, Le Cinema

Travel and gourmet movies too

◉ Jeremy Irons' intelligent and dandy performance in "Lisbon" (2013) is set in Postales. Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" (2011) lets you feel like a tourist in Paris. Classical music fans were delighted with the documentary "Argerich, the Musician" (2012) about the popular pianist Martha Argerich.

Looking back over the past 25 years at Le Cinema, it has also screened films that feature travel and gourmet food with a female demographic in mind (in the fall of 2014, the film " Peppermint" (2013), starring Jeremy Irons as the protagonist, was a big hit).

Also, taking into consideration its position as a mini-theater within a complex, the theater also screens works that incorporate elements of classical music, ballet, and paintings (the first documentary it screened was the ballet-themed " Etoile " (2000).More recently, it also screened the documentary " Argerich: I Am the Music! " (2012), about the popular pianist Martha Argerich).

In addition, Woody Allen's " Midnight in Paris " (2011) and " Blue Jasmine " (2013), which are popular with a wide range of people from middle-aged to young couples, have also been hits.

In recent years, the cinema has been attracting a new audience by screening a wider range of films than before, including those by directors with avant-garde styles that have been popular with cineaste audiences, such as the aforementioned Jia Zhangke.

"Before I knew it, 25 years had passed. Every work I come across is new, and I've met new colleagues who help develop those works. That's one of the joys of this job."

This idea of ​​"nurturing films" may not exist in "cinemas," which decide what to show with a focus on efficiency (films that don't become hits are quickly discarded). However, mini-theaters are also showing films at a faster cycle than before.

"There were years when we had long-running films and only a few films screened each year, but now we're putting out more than twice as many films as we used to, so the time we spend on each one is shorter. This means it's become more difficult for a film to take on a life of its own. But recently, small films like ' Chocolate Donuts ' (2012) at Cinema Switch Ginza have unexpectedly spread through word of mouth, and since ' The Devil's Violinist ' (2013), we've been on a good roll as well."

The theater, which opened with "Paganini," seems to be gaining new momentum 25 years later after screening another film about the same musician, "Paganini."

The audience is mainly seniors, and the old fans are still there. So in order to attract younger people, they have introduced a service that allows students to enter for 1,100 yen on weekdays.

"These days the mainstream view is that you go to something because everyone else is. Is this globalization in a bad sense? But I want people to really value the discovery of how they feel about the work. The excitement and joy you feel when you encounter something new. That's what's so great about experiencing culture and art. In an internet society, there's a clear distinction between black and white, and there's no middle ground, but in fact I think it's exactly in the middle that the real fun lies."

The Truth lies in ambiguity. This may indeed be the essence of art.

Producer Nakamura believes that "encountering movies is an encounter with people, which leads to connections with the world and enriches the world around you." His broad perspective and gentle curiosity about movies are probably the driving force that has supported Le Cinema for the past 25 years.

As a "relaxing space for adults in Shibuya," Bunkamura retains its gentle vitality.

(The next article will be the last, and feature Iwanami Hall, a long-established venue in Jimbocho. People involved in the venue will look back on its long history.)

◉ Bunkamura Le Cinema is located in Dogenzaka 2-chome, Shibuya-ku. The reception counter is on the 6th floor of the building.

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Next time: [Revisiting the Mini Theater] #29 The origins of the "mini theater" that emerged in Jimbocho

Text: Sawako Omori

Movie journalist. His books include "Lost Cinema" (Kawade Shobo Shinsha) and other books, and his translations include "Woody", a biography of Woody Allen (written by D. Evanier, Kinema Junposha). Contributes to magazines such as ``Music Magazine'' and ``Kinema Junpo.'' A research book based on the web series, ``Mini Theater Revisited,'' is also scheduled to be published.

*This article was serialized on a website run by Geijutsu Shimbun between 2013 and 2014. This time, we have received permission from Sawako Omori and Geijutsu Shinbunsha Co., Ltd. to reprint this work. In addition, ``Mini Theater Revisited'' has been significantly revised, new interviews have been added, and it is scheduled to be published as a book by Artes Publishing in 2021.