When a greedy real estate corporation attempts to turn a city's last historic arthouse cinema into a high rise, a group of intrepid local cinema lovers rally to stop them. No, this isn't a Hallmark Christmas movie. It really happened.
CINEMA REVIVAL is a feature-length documentary that follows an intrepid group of cinema lovers in their efforts to save Houston’s last historic arthouse cinema: the River Oaks Theatre.
Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, is one of the most culturally rich cities in the country, and like many others, it has lost most of its historical movie palaces. The iconic River Oaks Theatre, the last historic movie palace of its kind in Houston, almost met its end amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when Weingarten Realty tried to shut down the theatre to replace it with a residential high-rise. However, the community refused to let their beloved theatre go. CINEMA REVIVAL is their story. The story of how a group of passionate filmmakers, film enthusiasts, historical preservationists, and community activists joined forces to save the River Oaks Theatre so that it could continue to operate as a “church of cinema” for generations to come. How, in spite of a worldwide pandemic, the community rose up in an effort described by Richard Linklater as “artistic activism” to protect the theatre that incubated him and fellow Houston-raised director Wes Anderson.
The core of this story is about fighting for the places in our collective experiences that have formed who we are as individuals and as members of a community. The River Oaks Theatre is more than a building. It's the cultural heartbeat of a community. We intend to show that heartbeat through interviews with members of the community, filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts who see The River Oaks Theatre as their Cinema Church. A place of reverence and artistic expression that we rarely experience anywhere else in Houston. Our artistic approach to the film will reflect the history and architecture of the art deco building by incorporating stylized shots and lighting that gives the film an industrial, neo-noir look. Our artistic inspirations are "Metropolis", for its classic noir aesthetic, and "Cinema Paradiso", which conveys the majesty and magic of beloved community cinemas.
Interviewee - Richard Linklater
Interviewee - Wes Anderson
