Africa-Press – Angola. The artistic class in the city of Benguela is excited about the rehabilitation and requalification works of the old building of the Monumental cinema, with a view to boosting theater in the region.
Inserted in the package of works of the Emergency Program for Integrated Infrastructures on the coast of the province of Benguela, the Monumental cine-theater, opened for the screening of films on the 10th of June 1952, is the oldest cinema in the city of Benguela.
With 884 seats in the audience, 416 in the balcony, 16 frisas and nine boxes, the restoration work on the mythical Monumental cine-theater, which was in severe degradation, does not go unnoticed in the eyes of the artists, who highlight that the infrastructure will encourage appreciation and dissemination of cultural manifestations in the province of Benguela.
Press egarding the day celebrating the 8th of January, National Culture Day, the director of the Damba Maria theater group, Adérito Tchiuca, sees the rehabilitation of the Monumental cine-theater as a “great victory” for artists from the province of Benguela.
The young man even praises the vision of governor Luís Manuel da Fonseca Nunes to include this project in the range of structural works underway in the region, which is bringing joy back to artists and the public.
According to the artist, Luís Manuel da Fonseca Nunes is the only one among several rulers who have passed through Benguela in recent years to achieve the historic feat of rehabilitating, for the first time, the Monumental cine-theater and the Flamingo cine-esplanada, in Lobito.
Adérito Tchiuca, one of the most renowned theater actors of the new generation in Benguela, with works shown at international festivals in Mozambique, believes that, in addition to theater, the Monumental cinema will also be the stage for other events, such as dance and music shows , art exhibition, book launch, conferences and debates.
In this way, as you believe, artists in the province of Benguela will be more motivated by the quality of the infrastructure, in order to offer greater dignity in carrying out their work.
Among the features, the manager of Damba Maria highlights, for example, the restoration of both the interior and exterior of the Monumental cine-theater, such as the stage and the dressing room, so that the artists can work in a decent space.
The rehabilitation of the Flamingo cine-esplanada, in the city of Lobito, after years of degradation and abandonment, was also highlighted by the interviewee, who foresees enormous gains for arts makers and the public who love cinema and other events.
Management
Concerned about the fate that will be given to these spaces, Adérito Tchiuca defends the government’s financial support in the training of cultural agents, to prevent these facilities from becoming new “white elephants”.
In other words, he explains, it is necessary to train human resources, namely in theater, dance, musical bands, in cultural research, in order to meet the challenge of recovering cinemas in Benguela.
The expectation, he said, is that artists will benefit from these works, as, on the contrary, the social purpose of these rooms will be lost sight of and they will be usurped by party, religious and academic conferences.
In turn, the president of the Benguela Provincial Theater Association, Kelvin Vicente Memuana, also highlights the gains from the rehabilitation of the Monumental cinema, as it will contribute to the quality of artists’ work in the province.
For Kelvin Vicente Memuana, the restoration of the building will bring another boost and boost the intervention of artists, mainly in the world of performing arts as an instrument of social education and recovery of the habits and customs of the Ovimbundu people.
Construction
Completed at over 90 percent, the renovation works at the Monumental cine-theatre aim, in essence, to adapt that infrastructure to different types of cultural events, such as theater, dance, musical shows and religious ceremonies.
The intervention includes the replacement of new doors and windows, glass, ceiling, electrical system, chairs, tribune, treatment of internal and external cracks, drinking water pumping system, changing rooms for men and women, room for authors, painting and cabins.
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