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carlos costa He will never forget that summer day when his grandmother took him to the movies. He was 6 years old when he first went into a dark theater to see “O Trapalhao nas Minas do Rei Salomo” in 1977. Brazil The comedy which remains one of the country’s biggest box office hits.
“When I saw that huge screen, wow, I was mesmerized. I thought: Someday I’ll have a movie theater of my own,” he said. “Fifty years later, that dream has come true.”
In 2022, Costa opens Cine LT3, a 35-seat cinema Sao PauloUsing his savings and credit cards, he spent about 100,000 reais ($18,600) renovating an old garage, buying old wooden seats – which he found in an old closed theater in the countryside – and converting the space into a movie theater.
The screening room is now in what used to be the studio — a space behind his small company’s garage that was left unused during the pandemic. Costa, who works as a TV producer, opened the studios in 2012 and rents them out for screening tests and commercials. Where cars once stood, there are now tables and chairs where moviegoers can wait for their session, as well as a small counter that sells popcorn, snacks, soft drinks and wine.
There is also a small box office where Costa sells tickets for walk-ins. To purchase in advance, customers need to send a WhatsApp message to reserve it directly.
Costa said, “The movie theater is just me. I project movies, make popcorn, sell tickets, everything. For financial reasons, I can’t afford an employee.” “But I also think that’s part of the charm. I know the regulars by name and that’s what makes this place different.”
a story of resistance
Cine LT3 has established itself as a mini paradise for movie lovers, gradually building a loyal neighborhood community and attracting movie lovers with programming that is different from the city’s multiplexes.
Costa’s independent cinema is also part of the resistance to venues existing outside the mall circuit. According to official figures as of 2024, there were only 423 screening rooms in small theaters like LT3 across the country. In contrast, about 90% of Brazil’s 3,542 cinema screens operate inside shopping malls.
Some of the country’s most traditional stand-alone theaters now rely on corporate sponsorship to stay open. Many others have closed and been demolished. In São Paulo, where buildings survive, former screening rooms have often been renovated into evangelical churches or adult movie theaters.
Even the venues that have survived have faced the threat of closure in recent years. When this happens, local film lovers often organize protests – and in some cases, they are successful. This was the case with Cine Bellas Artes, located at the intersection of Avenida Paulista, in one of the most prestigious corners of the city.
Maria Amelia Marcos, a 71-year-old teacher, was visiting LT3 for the first time on Thursday, although she often visits other independent theaters around Sao Paulo. He believes that these places are essential to preserving the cultural memory of the city.
“Independent theaters are so important because they have a completely different appeal,” he said. The selection of films is excellent. I imagine that curators are very thoughtful people who want audiences to see the kind of films they would want to see themselves.
a man’s dream of life
Costa curates the lineup himself, focusing on art-house headliners from Brazil and abroad. When The Associated Press visited the theater Thursday, the schedule included a restored screening of “Paris, Texas,” part of a citywide retrospective marking the German director’s 80th birthday. Wim Wenders,
Maida Alves, 63, a regular at LT3, had just left a screening of “Paris, Texas” when she spoke to the AP. This place holds deep emotional significance for them. After watching collective spaces empty out during the pandemic, she sees theater as a rare and necessary common ground.
“I think Costa does a really great job,” she said. “I see him selling tickets, making popcorn, cleaning, playing movies, answering phones. It thrills me. It shows how you have to take initiative to accomplish a dream, which I think is the dream of his life.”
Costa often hears people questioning his decisions, especially from a financial perspective. Although he admits that the work is challenging, he is happy doing what he loves. And he loves cinema, just like that TotoThe hero of his favorite film, “Cinema Paradiso”, to whom he paid tribute with a painting on the wall outside LT3.
The character hooks up with a local cinema projectionist and, through that relationship, develops a lifelong devotion to films. Costa said that he sees his own life in Toto’s story and believes that films have the power to change people.
He said, “Nobody ever leaves the theater the same way they went in.” Watching people come and go to his theater every day for the past three years, he says he has learned more about human nature.
He said, “For example, I show a movie and some people walk away crying while others don’t understand it at all. I can see the diversity of human beings.” “What affects one person emotionally may not have the same effect on another person. I learn something new every day.”
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