Local directors question Cinematheque’s reason for closure

After having screened alternative films for three years, the Cinematheque Passion is set to stop operating by the end of the year due to contractual issues with the building.

With the project under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Rita Wong, CEO of Cinematheque-Passion, said that the bureau would have to conduct maintenance works to enhance the film screening quality.

The works are expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2020.

“The three-year contract of CUT for the operation of Cinematheque Passion will end at December 31. IC will have the maintenance and upgrade [works] afterwards,” said Wong, referring to the association which has operated the arthouse since 2017.

However, a few directors believe that these reasons are untrue.

Local director Tracy Choi told Portuguese newspaper Hoje Macau that the closure is “due to the fact that the Cultural Affairs Bureau has not planned the issue well,” thus not having enough time to sign a new contract.

The Hoje Macau report also cited a director linked to the Audio-Visual CUT Association, who said that there have been signs that the operation of Cinematheque Passion has been unclear since November.

The director, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The people in the [IC] leadership did not carry out the proper procedures to continue with the opening of the space.”

“IC will announce the renewal of space to maintain this suspense, but it is temporary. But we know that they do not work very fast. I don’t think this is the end of the Cinematheque, but 2019 should be the end of the first edition of the project. I believe it [will] not open within a year and a half,” the director told Hoje Macau.

The arthouse, located at Travessa da Paixão No. 13, is a three-story, multifunctional building that offers film screenings, local video storage, and a lending library of film journals and books. Local film materials and videos, periodicals and magazines are available for residents at the site. LV