When I lamented the demise of the only foreign language cinema in Palma, the Cines Renoir, barely five weeks ago, I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams that an enthusiastic crowd of film buffs and movie lovers would rescue the Renoir movie theatres from definitive closure. Nearly 2,000 people put their names down and some 900 of them put their money where their mouth was, so far.

Yesterday, the dream became reality when a General Assembly voted to approve the setting-up and constitution of a citizen’s association, Xarxa Cinema, to take over the old Renoir facilities in s’Escorxador and start a new cinema, catering to Palma’s (and Mallorca’s) film enthusiasts. 908 members have paid up so far; some 62,000 € have been raised to date and the new project will be up and running before the end of this month, or so is the plan.

It helps, of course, that the old Renoir owners have graciously agreed to donate the existing fittings and equipment to the new citizens’ initiative; a gift well worth in excess of 20,000 €, including the pop corn machine. The new cinema, a name still has to be decided but it may well be Cine Ciutat, may even include a Filmoteca similar to one existing in Barcelona and successfully operating in other places such as Paris or Berlin.

Good luck to the new board under its director, Pedro Barbadillo. Well done. And congratulations to all of us foreign residents here in Mallorca. Aren’t we lucky?

The photo was taken in Palma, Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: June 14th, 2012. The time was 20:12:34.