The non-governmental organizations Center for Civic Education (CCE) and Antifascists of Cetinje today sent an initiative to the Royal Capital of Cetinje for the renovation of the cinema hall of the Local Community in Rijeka Crnojevića.
The hall is located in a building built in 1957, and the first film screening, as a reminder, was held a year later.
"For decades, it was the cultural center of the community with one to two screenings per month, until the late 1980s when the cinema was closed. The building itself is on the territory of the national park around Lake Skadar. According to the previous plan of the Local Community in Rijeka Crnojevića, the cinema was planned to be renovated, with indications of this from the Royal Capital of Cetinje, but to date there have been no concrete actions," the statement reads.
According to the 2023 census, 84 people live in Rijeka Crnojevića, but more than 10.000 tourists visit the place annually, NGOs point out.
"Rijeka Crnojevića is recognized as an attractive tourist destination due to its landscape, Skadar Lake and its importance in the medieval history of Montenegro. The most famous tourist activities are boating, kayaking and tasting traditional food and drinks. Due to its proximity to Cetinje and Podgorica, Rijeka Crnojevića is also ideal for day trips, so new facilities such as a cinema would enrich the tourist offer and extend the season for both foreign and Montenegrin tourists. This would lead to positive economic effects for catering and accommodation facilities in Rijeka Crnojevića. At the same time, the renovation would prevent the accelerated deterioration of the cinema hall and restore function to the space that marked the cultural life of the community in Rijeka Crnojevića in the 20th century," they add.
Renovating the hall, according to CCE and Antifascists Cetinje, would allow it to be used for other cultural events, such as lectures, performances, forums and exhibitions. Shared spaces, they said, can also serve to strengthen social cohesion, as they can bring together different generations, but also provide opportunities for dialogue and activities for young people.
CCE and Antifascists of Cetinje believe that the renovation of the cinema hall, due to the cultural and historical significance of Rijeka Crnojevića, where the first state printing house in the world was located on Obod, should be included in the list of priority projects of the Royal Capital.
"Recently published photos of this cinema have attracted public attention and once again pointed out the need to preserve important buildings. Improving the tourist offer should be a priority for all local and national authorities, as tourism is the most important branch of the Montenegrin economy. This year we celebrate 20 years since the restoration of independence, and Rijeka Crnojevića has an indisputably important role in the history of Montenegro. Rijeka Crnojevića has been unfairly neglected when it comes to promoting tourism, and restoring the cinema hall could be the first step towards improving the tourist offer. We call on the Royal Capital of Cetinje to act on our initiative and to restore the cinema hall in Rijeka Crnojevića as soon as possible," the statement reads.
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