Film Theatre Idrija

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Filmsko gledališče Idrija

Trg sv. Ahacija 5, SI-5280 Idrija

http://www.idr.sik.si/si/v/48/enote/filmsko-gledalisce/

tim.bozic@idr.sik.si

Phone386 (0) 5 373 4060

Managed byIdrija City Library and Reading Room

Tim Božič, Head

tim.bozic@idr.sik.si

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The building of the Miners' Theatre in Idrija was built in the 1770s, it is considered the oldest theatre building in Slovenia. Its construction was financed from voluntary contributions by the mercury mine employees. In the 20th C. it was turned into a cinema hall, Film Theatre Idrija.

Film Theatre Idrija (Filmsko gledališče Idrija) is housed in a small scale Baroque building in the old town centre of Idrija. It was built as a theatre house as early as 1770, but due to reconstructions in the 20th Century the interior no longer resembles the former Baroque theatre with boxes at two levels. It is now run under the auspices of the Idrija City Library and Reading Room and is a member of the Art Cinema Network.

Next to a very diverse programme of films screenings, its programme occasionally also includes theatre productions, lectures and concerts of a smaller scale.

Background

Operating since around 1500, the Idrija mercury mine used to be one of the largest mercury mines in the world, which consequently meant that the town was of some regional importance. When in mid-18th century the mine was at the height of its development, Idrija was given town privileges and had numerous public buildings built. Among them was the Miners' Theatre House, its construction financed from voluntary contributions by the mercury mine employees and nowadays usually considered to be the oldest such building in Slovenia (though the provincial capital Ljubljana did manage to acquire its own, slightly larger theatre just a few years earlier).

In the years that followed, various travelling German and Italian theatre groups most commonly appeared in the Idrija theatre, but after 1850 an increasing number of performances were in Slovene. The establishment of the Idrija Dramatic Society in 1889 was of a particular importance for this. Nevertheless, in 1905 the stage was removed and the building became the town's fire department headquarters. In 1913 it was renovated as a theatre again, but got closed down only a year later only to be used as accommodation for prisoners of Worl War I. It got once again renovated in 1920 only to be turned into a storage building three years later.

After some further lively history, it was reopened in 1952 as a local cinema (but still subject to quite some going-ons). In 2001 the building was declared a cultural monument of national importance and as of 2015 run by the Idrija City Library. As of 2012, the building is considered a part of mercury mining heritage and as such featured on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Programme

The place runs a very wide-ranging film programme that includes bot European cinema as well as various children films. Additionally, it runs a strong programme of documentaries of a Slovene origin, often accompanied by its creators and protagonists. It also runs a series of films that relate to mountaineering and climbing, organised in collaboration with the International Festival of Mountain Film.

The venues is also used to screen the post-Animateka International Animated Film Festival films, hosts the Deuje babe Festival and the Idrija Lace Festival.

See also

• Mercury mining heritage on Culture.si
• Idrija City Library and Reading Room
• Idrija Mine Museum
• Art Cinema Network
• Municipality of Idrija
• International Festival of Mountain Film
• Deuje babe Festival

External links

• About Film Theatre Idrija on the Idrija City Library and Reading Room website (in Slovenian)
• The Miners' Theatre in Idrija, the history of the oldest theatre in Slovenia from the Theatre Architecture in Central Europe (TACE) web database
• A short introduction to Idrija Heritage

Gallery

The building of the Miners' Theatre in Idrija was built in the 1770s, it is considered the oldest theatre building in Slovenia. Its construction was financed from voluntary contributions by the mercury mine employees. In the 20th C. it was turned into a cinema hall, Film Theatre Idrija.