18-11-2015

Earthquake Law to Close Main Cinemas in Bucharest

By
    Cinema Studio Cinema Studio

    BUCHAREST: Four main cinemas in Bucharest might be closed according to a law issued by the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis and stating that public activities are prohibited in buildings with earthquake risk.

    The decision concerns cinemas, theatres, restaurants, banks, shops, hospitals etc, and will become applicable after it is published in the Official Gazette (Monitorul Oficial). The law might affect four main cinemas in Bucharest: Cinema Studio (which is also home of the Romanian Filmmakers Union, UCIN), Cinema Pro, Cinema Scala and Cinema Patria. According to the law, these cinemas will have to change location.

    Laurențiu Damian, the head of UCIN, told FNE that Cinema Studio will not be closed or relocated and it will undergo a renovation process in summer 2016. Representatives of Cinema Pro do not have an official answer yet.

    The four cinemas are located in old buildings in the center of Bucharest included by the City Hall on the high risk list in case of a major earthquake. The decision came after a fire that broke in the Colectiv club in Bucharest on 30 October 2015, killed 56 young people and injured more than 100, leading to public protests against corruption and the resignation of the Government.

    It is to be seen how this law will affect the life of the city since Bucharest has a lot of old buildings hosting appartments and public activities as well, and which have not been renovated for a long time.