Cine Marrocos, Movie theater in downtown São Paulo, Brazil.
Cine Marrocos was a movie theater on the ground floor of a 12-story office building at Conselheiro Crispiniano Street, featuring marble staircases and a central fountain. The main hall seated approximately 1,870 viewers with leather seats and air conditioning before being divided into two separate screening rooms in 1972.
The theater opened on January 25, 1951, with a midnight screening of Black Magic starring Orson Welles and operated for over 40 years until closure in 1994. Between these dates, it hosted Brazil's first international film festival in 1954 in partnership with the Museum of Modern Art.
The decoration by Jacques Monet drew on the Thousand and One Nights, and the stage, curtains and tapestry were assembled by José Maestre. The atrium held a fountain with glass mosaic tiles, with a bar to the left of the entrance. In 1954, for the city's 400th anniversary, the cinema co-hosted Brazil's first international film festival with the Museum of Modern Art.
The cinema occupied the ground floor of a 12-story office building at Rua Conselheiro Crispiniano, 397, in the old centre. Entry was via a marble staircase up to the hall, then the box office, atrium and foyer; the balcony was reached by stairs from the atrium. The building still stands, but the cinema closed in 1994, so there are no screenings to attend.
After closure, the building became shelter for homeless individuals, African refugees, and Latin American immigrants seeking housing. A 2021 documentary captured the personal stories of these residents, revealing how the former entertainment venue transformed into a home for people on the margins of society.
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