Martin Scorsese urges Italy's President, PM to save Rome cinemas from turning into malls, hotels

Martin Scorsese urges Italy’s President, PM to save Rome cinemas from turning into malls, hotels

Filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion and Wes Anderson are among the signees of an appeal to prevent the threat that a substantial portion of Rome's movie theatres could be converted into shopping centres and supermarkets under proposed regional legislation.

Last month, asset management firms Colliers Global Investors and Wrm Capital won a Rome real estate bankruptcy auction. They bought nine movie theatres for a reported EUR50 million ($52 million), raising concerns about the future of the city's cinemas, reported Variety.

Some of these facilities, like the city's central Cinema Adriano multiplex, are completely active, while others have long since closed. The person behind the fund is believed to be Italian-British financier Raffaele Mincione. Meanwhile, a new regional piece of legislation is being drafted — and is up for approval this week — that would remove norms that currently prevent Rome movie theatres from being converted into any other type of business besides being a cultural space, as per the outlet.

Over the weekend, Scorsese responded to a call for help from Rome's Cinema America group, which oversees the city's largest open-air film festival and the popular Cinema Troisi arthouse venue, issued an open letter inspired by architect Renzo Piano and appealed to the country's top leaders.

"As Renzo Piano eloquently reflects on the current situation in Rome, it is clear that the attempt to repurpose spaces intended for the possible cultural renaissance of the Eternal City into hotels, shopping centres and supermarkets is utterly unacceptable," Scorsese wrote.

"Such a transformation would represent an irrevocable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city's rich history but also to the cultural legacy for the future generations," as per Variety.

Scorsese's plea continued, "We call upon our colleagues across the globe, festival directors and all the cultural operators to sign this letter to save the last chance for redemption of one of the most important cultural and artistic cities worldwide. This letter is also personally addressed to President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to prevent any conversion of the cultural spaces in Rome. It's our duty to transform these abandoned 'cathedrals in the desert' into true temples of culture, places capable of nourishing the souls of both present and future generations."