Seaside cinema renaissance
As soon as the gallery opened, restoring the cinema became a passion project for the couple, particularly Olga, who was raised with theatre and film in Moscow.
They obtained match-funding for the restoration and invested in a 4K projector, which, he observes drily, ‘Is bigger than the Odeon’s.’ (Odeon is a big national cinema chain.)
The Kino-Teatr shows an eclectic mix of film and live theatre, comedy and music, aimed at a mixed audience. The audience is often adult, but they love seeing families coming in to use the café or see a movie. The first theatre they staged, three inter-related one-act plays called The McGowan Trilogy, went on to worldwide success.
These days, Russell has little time to get to the beach, a block away, where he used to canoe and swim. ‘ I’m painting all the time,’ he says, ‘And Olga’s busy with the cinema, though she’s pretty urban, she’s never really been a beach person.’
Together, though, they’ve brought a seaside cinema triumphantly back to life.
Plan your trip to Kino-Teatr Cinema and Art Gallery here.