Cape Town is famous for showing off the incredible aesthetic that it is, however when people want to be indoors and watch a film, they decide to watch at theatres that are popular for the public, but not rich in culture. Open your eyes and your hearts into the world of theatre with the idea of a place with a back story and another with the great idea to relax outside.
The Labia Theatre is one of many in Cape Town that has festivals annually to show off the talent of the youth and other languages such as Italian films. The theatre alone is the “oldest independent art-repertory cinema in South Africa” (Labia: 2018). The theatre started originally as a ballroom dedicated for the Italian Embassy. However in the year 1949, the people of South Africa could see it as the Labia Theatre which was created by the one and only “Princess Labia”.
Why should you go to the Labia Theatre?
One should attend this cultural location as it provides a sense of “what one can make from nothing” idea. The theatre was once a place with no form of digital projectors and now screens movies local and foreign. It is a place where one can get the idea of a different environment rather than a typical mainstream cinema like in most shopping malls
The Labia Theatre hosts events such as the Italian Film Festival which was hosted by the Labia on the 29th of November to the 3rd of December. This was one of the many cultural aspects that the theatre focuses on. This is to add to the idea that the theatre is no ordinary cinema but rather a form of archive or museum that incorporates film made by people from all around the world.
Any other places to enjoy movies in a unique way?
Another form of Theatre is the Galileo Open Air Cinema. It is a mobile form of cinema that travels all around Cape Town. Places such as Bloemendal Wine Estate, Kirstenbosch Gardens, V&A Waterfront and Cape Winelands, all are locations that not only allow people to view various movies but also add to looking at the beautiful mother city that it is.
One must picture the outdoor scene, whether one is watching a movie during the sunshine or the moonlight. This is no drive-in but it is an experience getting to enjoy a movie while being in nature. A group of friends, family or loved ones put out a picnic blanket, get a basket of treats, and enjoy the well-known movies we know today. Movies that are shown at this outdoor cinema are classic films such as “The Lion King, Valentine’s Day, The Conjuring, Forest Gump, Mamma Mia,” and many more for everyone and anyone to enjoy.
If you are visiting Cape Town for the first time and enjoy watching movies, try these places first before continuing down the line of mainstream cinemas. The two examples of cinemas explain what the whole idea of theatre should be, to provide an experience that one will never forget.
- For more information on the Labia Theatre: https://www.thelabia.co.za/#position
- For more information on the Galileo Open Air Cinema: http://thegalileo.co.za/
By The Cape 