Brattle Theatre

Brattle Theatre is an independent movie theater in Harvard Square that uses a special rear-projection system where the projector sits behind the screen rather than in front of the audience. This setup creates soft, diffused images and allows the single screen to accommodate both 35mm film and digital formats simultaneously.

The building was founded as Cambridge Social Union in 1890 and served as a meeting space for the community. Harvard veterans transformed it into a movie theater in 1953, beginning its role in bringing international and independent cinema to the area.

The theater maintains a tradition where students gather to watch Humphrey Bogart films during Harvard's final exam period, turning cinema into a form of student ritual and stress relief. This practice has become deeply woven into the campus culture as a seasonal gathering.

The theater is wheelchair accessible and located in downtown Cambridge where parking can be difficult during peak hours. It is best reached by public transportation or on foot from nearby transit stops.

The theater is operated by the Brattle Film Foundation as a nonprofit cinema with carefully curated programming of classic, foreign, and independent films. This selection approach sets it apart from typical multiplex offerings and includes regular retrospectives of film classics.