Though Agadir hosts International festivals, there is no open cinema hall
Agadir, the second most attractive city to tourists in Morocco after Marrakech, does not own even one open movie theatre.
Several factors contributed to the collapse of the cinema halls in Agadir. On February 29, 1960, the city was struck by one of Morocco’s deadliest earthquakes.
And while the city was falling apart, 400 people were inside “Cinema Salam,” which survived the earthquake, but only as a closed building.
The movie theatre was designed by the French architect, George Appéré, and built by Moroccan businessman Boubker Fakih Tetouani in 1946, later owned by another Agadir-based businessman called Si Yahia Ben Idder.
In recent years, there have been rumors that it will turn into a shopping mall or condominiums because of its strategic area.
But cineastes from different fields, including artists, critics, directors, archeologists, and historians refuse the idea of demolishing the hall of this cinema. They consider it as a historical landmark, especially as one of the buildings that withstood the destructive earthquake.
Agadir hosts top-notch festivals. These are the International Festival of Amazigh Film, the Agadir International Festival of Cinema and Migration, the International Documentary Festival in Agadir (FIDADOC), to name but a few.
Nevertheless, “Realto” cinema opened only during the days of the Festival “Cinema and Migration,” besides the 11th edition of the International Festival “Issni N Orgh” Amazigh’s film. But once the festival is over, it closes its door again.
Since March 21, 2021, the works to re-open “Sahara” cinema have been launched, at a total financial cost of 12 million dirhams. To refurbish the cinema hall and transform it into an artistic, cultural complex.
“It is such good news for cinema-lovers, which is considered as the return of the soul to the “Sahara cinema hall.” Mohammed Bakrim, a film critic, said to Azul press.
“It will also constitute a central space for the new generation to diversify the ways of receiving the various arts such as cinema, theatre, and music.” He added.
“Cinema is a vital sector, an important window to society but, unfortunately, there is no cinema hall to accommodate the citizen’s passion for films,” Abdellah El Mennani, Amazigh scriptwriter and President of the Issouraf Association, informed Morocco Media News.
“Also, the absence of cinemas made the region and Morocco lose the leadership in creating a popular model cinema, similar to Nigeria, for example, which has become the number one issuance of video films,” he added.
He pointed out that, “the Souss region has known the birth of this genre, instead it is flourishing within a short time span but for many reasons, including the lack of halls to screen these films, the decline of this film genre in the region.”
“Today, all officials, including the elected ones, are obliged to think of a serious solution to reopen cinema halls. The city is ahead of a great opportunity to complete major cultural and artistic projects, especially officials have the possibility of facilitating the rulers for art and culture,” he confirms.
Malika Akestour
