Over the years, time hasn't been kind to Cinemas Latino. The marquee on the building's facade promoting films currently playing is faded by the sun and movie posters are simply taped to its windows, all of them advertised as "100% family friendly".
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
Gran Cinema Latino is located on calle 5ta (Fifth Street) in Downtown Tijuana, on the corner of Niños Héroes street, right in front of Calimax. Opened in 1941, it has been through multiple facets along its history, but since January 28, 2016, it reopened as a completely family-oriented movie theater.
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
Speaking with the manager, we find that the reason to reopen the movie theater was because they noticed that the people needed to have a "good cheap cinema" (apparently admission costs only $20 pesos [just under $2 dollars], even though a sign says $30 pesos), especially in the Downtown area, where there is currently no other type of movie theater nearby, either commercial or independent.
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
It's interior is pretty simple but functional, with a few couches and a concession stand, where they sell popcorn, sodas, chocolates among other candies.
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
It currently only has one screen, which is pretty spacious and with a 300 people capacity.
The employees told us that since the reopening, they've received around 500 people, but that they're hoping to increase that daily figure in order to be able to afford more and better movie licenses in the future.
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
They also proudly told us that they're on the same level as other big cinemas in the city, since they claim to have the latest state-of-the-art screening technology for movie projections (they didn't actually say what technology)
This movie theater is another attempt to rescue non-commercial spaces for Tijuana's theater and cinema movement. The Baja California Culture Institute (ICBC) is now managing the recently renovated Mutualista Zaragoza theater on Calle 4ta and giving it a new lease on life as a cultural space. There's also the on-going renewal of Cine Roble on Calle Sexta, while others are trying to renovate Downtown Tijuana's cinema industry with new locations like the Mexico City based Cine Tonalá, which plans to open a location in the city this spring.
Photo: Daniel Esparza/SanDiegoRed.com
The first showing starts at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, followed by another one at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. The movie listings are changed every week, so if you have some spare change to spend, go and discover one of the few old movie theaters still remaining in the city.
Cinemas Latino is located on on the corner of Calle Niños Héroes and Emiliano Zapata (Calle 5ta):
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Cinemas Latino when it opened in the 1940s.
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oscar.montoya@sandiegored.com
Translated by: edgar.martinez@sandiegored.com
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