(haipo) - On the morning of Friday February 9.2.2024, XNUMX, the exhibition of the cinema paintings by Dr. David Bar On, who painted the paintings for Yoram Katz's project that researched the old cinemas in Haifa, opened at Beit Abba Khushi in Haifa.
The history of Haifa's neighborhood cinemas
Yoram Katz, born in Haifa, is a man with a wide education, a high-tech person and a writer, who researched the history of Haifa's neighborhood cinemas. 35 in number, including the first of them, "Coliseum", which opened in 1919, and screened silent films accompanied by piano playing.
The articles about the cinemas, which were published on Yoram Katz's personal blog as well as in the "Hai Fe" news corporation, are accompanied by drawings by architect and painter Dr. David Bar On. The drawings were made based on many sources, including, in the absence of available photographs, testimonies of Haifaim and plans Building.
The album of Haifa's neighborhood cinemas
These days Yoram Katz is working on publishing the album "Neighborhood Cinemas of Haifa", based on extensive research, and containing texts, photographs, maps, documents, and the spectacular illustrations of Dr. David Bar On.
The opening event
On the morning of Friday, February 9.2.2024, XNUMX, the exhibition of cinema paintings by Dr. David Bar On opened at Beit Abba Khushi in Haifa.
A large crowd came to the opening event, which took place in the presence of Nega Carmi, the director of "Hai Fe", Yaron, her partner, as well as Yoram Katz and David Brown. Yoram Katz told about the history of the neighborhood cinemas, which were very popular in Haifa. It turns out that in 1954 Haifa was the leading city in the world in the number of cinema visits per capita. The cinemas were located in the heart of the city, and lively cultural and commercial activity took place around them.
Nega Karmi, CEO of Hai Pa, speaks at the event ► Watch
Nega Karmi spoke enthusiastically about the extensive space she is dedicating on the "Hai Fe" website to the movie theater documentation project, which is all a tribute to the city of Haifa, and about her encouragement of Dr. David Bar On, who usually draws historical buildings in the city, and tells about them in articles "Building Story", which are published in "Hai Pa", to also paint Haifa's cinemas for generations.
Some movie theaters showed movies from 10 am until evening continuously. School students would spend their school day in these cinema halls. Sometimes the teachers would also join them. When Yoram told about it, the Haifaites present in the audience gave enthusiastic voices of approval from their personal experience.
David Bar-on speaks at the event ► Watch
The deterioration of cinemas in Haifa
The names of four of the movie theaters, which served as a city of refuge for the students in the morning hours, were given the abbreviated name AgdaH. "Grace".
From the beginning of the 1970s, the status of cinemas deteriorated, due to the introduction of television into our lives, later, multi-screen cinemas were built in shopping centers. Fondly remember the Moriah cinema, which was active until 2006.
Yoram Katz speaks at the exhibition launch event: Paintings of the cinemas (Photo: Chai Pa-TV)
The painting exhibition
The painting exhibition will be open at Beit Abba Khushi in the coming month, until March 4.3.2024, 1948. It is recommended to come, see, and remember the cinematic youth experiences, and read historical background material, for example about the "Emmi" cinema, which has been operating since XNUMX.
mass recruitment
These days a crowdfunding project is underway for the publication of the album "Neighborhood Cinemas of Haifa". You can support the project at the link. thus guaranteeing receipt of a copy of the album, which treasures a piece of Haifa cultural history.
Itzik Feldman, son of the owner of Orion Cinema, speaks at the opening event ► Watch
"Popular Cafe Cinema"
The question of the questions: The Haifa neighborhood movie theater, which closed its doors on Black Shabbat, remains closed until now. It was the last of Haifa's neighborhood cinemas, and screened quality films from the "Heart Cinema" offering. I saw many movies in it, especially on weekends, within walking distance of my house. Did he also sink into Haifa's cultural history?
A beautiful exhibition!!!
The pictures are beautiful! Accompanied by a summary of the story of the cinemas that operated in Haifa over the years since the beginning of the last century. The exhibition was for me a sweet, interesting and fascinating nostalgic journey into the world of cinema that was in our city, a journey from a different and interesting angle about the city and the film culture.
It's an experience for everyone, especially my sons and the residents of the city!
All over the world, the neighborhood cinema went to him.
What is unfortunate is what they did with these buildings or plots afterwards
Some deserted to this very day have been standing empty for over 30 years - instead of building housing in towers for young families.
Instead of building shopping centers, offices, clinics, other public buildings such as libraries, galleries.
Everything stands empty and desolate with faded signs for rent... with graffiti...
Takes up space. Encourages phenomena of drugs and homeless people invading buildings.
This is the main point here.
Such a central lot in such a sought-after area as Sderot Moriah in the middle of the Carmel Ridge. Standing desolate for 30 years, cinema, cinema, popular cafe. Why didn't it become a night club? Why didn't it become a commercial center with a residential tower above it? The same Shavit cinema in the center of Carmel. How the hell is that possible? For decades, lots in the most sought-after areas of Carmel have been deserted and hundreds of young families looking for housing in the area are forced to flee Carmel to neighboring cities due to housing prices, rents, and property taxes.
How does that happen????
Mr. Yona, do you have an explanation???
Don't hide, respond. Why did everything freeze for you for 20 years?
explanation please!!!!!
The opening of the exhibition was beautiful and dignified, a large audience that included the editors of Haifa as well as newspaper writers.
As someone who spent a large part of his youth in the cinemas that are painted on the walls of the hall in Beit Abba Khushi,
I remember that a cinema I visited many times is built on the water pool of Mount Carmel. This means that under the floor of the cinema there is/was a huge reservoir of drinking water.
I remember that, being a teenager, I was always afraid that the floor would collapse and we would all fall into the water... This feeling first happened when I saw the famous cartoon "Fantasia" in which you hear a piece of classical music conducted by the conductor Stokowski and on the screen you see a huge flood of water. there were times!
Congratulations to Hagit for her beautiful writing.
Really what's going on with my people? When will it open again?? We, the subscribers, tried to find out, but unfortunately we were left without an answer...
Cheers to you, Hagit daughter of Eliezer