Cinema Park
Cinema Park (Martino: Parque Cinematográfico) is both a square and a complex in Cárdenas, the capital of Nouvelle Alexandrie, known for its major cinema venues. It is located in the heart of the Entertainment District. As of 1740 AN, there are a total of twelve cinema buildings in the Park. They are considered by moviegoers to be a staple of Cinema of Nouvelle Alexandrie, both in terms of attendance, as well as technological innovation.
Layout
The Cinema Park is centred on the synonymous green space, best-known for its large statue known as the "Cámara del Mundo", an ornate marble statue of an analogue film camera. There are also numerous statues to famous Alexandrien actors, directors, and screenwriters, including Hans Backovic, Eloise Delacroix, Vivienne Denueve, and Isaac Criado.
Another famous part of the Park is the so-called "Mural de Cine", a permanent mural that depicts both national and international cinema history. Famous artists are regularly invited to update or retouch parts of the mural in recognition of achievements in cinema.
Cinemas
The cinema complex surrounding the park is dominated by three foremost buildings: Cine Réal, Cine Inti, and Cine Calabri Nuevo.
Cine Réal is the oldest and most prestigious cinema at the complex, having been completed in 1690 AN as the focal point of the Cárdenas Plan. It is an ornate Geneva-style building, with a large façade fronted by cobblestone stairs, and four Corinthian Columns. It has a relatively small waiting hall, known for its spiralling staircase and ornate ticketing booth, while there are a total of ten film theatres inside. In 1720 AN, two of these halls were renovated to allow for Ultra Cinema screening, with another furnished in 1736 AN for 4DX screening.
Cine Inti, completed in 1696 AN and specialised in original-language film screening, is best-known for its Wechua-inspired architecture, with bronze ornaments and tall windows. Inside, the waiting hall is centred around a large ticketing booth, with six film theatres on the side. It was the first to receive an Ultra Cinema (3D) theatre in 1711 AN.
Cine Calabri Nuevo was completed in 1732 AN and stands on the site of the eponymous Cine Calabri that it replaced. It specialises in high-capacity screening, maintaining only two film theatres with a combined capacity of over 1,000 moviegoers. It was built in an art deco style, with a large glass-and-steel façade and weaponised concrete. It was also built with Ultra Cinema 2 Max in mind, offering the latest in cinema technology, including both 4DX and 10.2 Surround Sound.
The other nine cinemas vary in both size and prominence, with several also offering other niche services for moviegoers. Five of them are smaller general-purpose cinemas: Cine Galaxia (3 theatres), Cine Nuestra Señora del Caridad (2 theatres), Cine San Juan (1 theatre), Cine Patrón (1 theatre), Cine Júbilo (2 theatres), and Cine Toros (4 theatres). Cine Alta (1 theatre) and Cine Péndulo (2 theatres) both serve as Arthouse cinemas. Cine Payaso (2 theatres) is a children-film cinema. One cinema, Cine Patrón, is also connected to the University of Cárdenas in the form of a Film School cinema, offering exposure for university students.
Amenities
Aside from the cinemas, the Park is also host to a range of restaurants, cafés, and bars. There is also the Hotel Cine, famous for its clientele of actors and directors; and the Museum of Cinema History, a small charity-led facility that showcases props, multimedia, and art of national and international cinema.
Transport
Public transport for the Cinema Park is located at the eponymous Metro and Tram station, which is located at the Calle de Cines 50 m north of the Cámara del Mundo. It also has three stops on the Bus: alongside Cinema Park, there is also a stop at Cine Alta/Patrón and at Cine Calabri Nuevo.
