Studio Skoop, the well-known arthouse cinema in the East Flemish capital, reopened last night after refurbishment and under a new proprietor. Studio Skoop had been closed since the end of last year. The manager retired and there was no successor. Eventually, a deal was struck with Lumière, the Belgian film production and distribution company that also runs a chain of city cinemas. “Everyone hoped that we would change as little as possible,” says Jon Michelena of Lumière.
Ghent’s much-loved arthouse cinema Studio Skoop reopens under new owner Lumière
Colin Clapson
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During the refurbishment, it became clear once again just how important Studio Skoop is to many arthouse cinema enthusiasts. “We couldn’t work for three minutes without someone stopping us in the street to speak to us,” says Jon Michelena of Lumière.
Invisible change
“Everyone said: ‘You’re not going to change too much, are you?’ So, our renovations are mainly invisible. We’ve ensured that everything is fully fire safe. But of course, that isn’t very noticeable.”
“Apart from that, we’ve given the walls a coat of paint, but in a colour that matches the rest of the cinema. Hopefully, that won’t really stand out either.”
Studio Skoop now also boasts a state-of-the-art 35mm projection system. From 15 July, Christopher Nolan’s new film, 'The Odyssey', will be screened on this system.
Old and new
Last night, for the first time in months, film lovers could once again enjoy themselves at Studio Skoop. “From now on, we’ll be open every day from 2 pm. The café will also be open every day from 6.30 pm.”
For the reopening programme, Lumière opted for a mix of old and new: Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Persona’ (1966) and Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954). But ‘n Waves’, ‘Tuner’ and ‘Toy Story 5’ – all released this year – are also on the programme.