READER LETTER: Cinema City is part of the social fabric in Norwich
Cinema City in Norwich. It is temporarily closing again because of Covid. Picture Archant. - Credit: Archant
This reader reflects on the temporary closure of Cinema City in Norwich.
How sad is it that another valuable social aspect in our society is gradually closing down?
Granted on a local level, Odean and Vue still remain open, but not Cinema City the Picturehouse Cinema owned by Cineworld, now closed until at least April.
Like a lot of its customers I have fond memories of attending this historic venue over the years.
It’s not just about the film you are choosing to watch, the staff and management have made a real effort in the past with the Autism Friendly Screenings including bringing in outside organisations to offer help and support after the screenings and a free coffee included in the admission price for parents and carers — little touches that go along way.
I was lucky enough to attend a screening of A Clockwork Orange in November 2016 including a debate with a lecturer from the UEA, which was fascinating and led to half a dozen of us continuing the conversation in the bar afterwards.
My point is that we need this escapism and social interaction.
Cinema City is part of the social fabric in Norwich and Norfolk, and mainstream film studios should stop the greed of delaying their tentpole releases to try and maximize there profits. This is counter productive, and has knock on effects as we are now seeing.
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I know there is not another “magic money tree”, but the government needs to make it easier for the arts in general to access their share of the £1.57bn fund to keep our independent and mainstream cinemas viable.
After all if Boris Johnson had done what he was advised to do by the World Health Organisation back in February and not left it until a full five and a half weeks later to lockdown our country we wouldn’t be in the mess were in now.
