Minema Cinema
45 Knightsbridge,
London,
SW1X 7NL
45 Knightsbridge,
London,
SW1X 7NL
1 person
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Curzon Cinemas
Previous Names: Curzon Minema Cinema
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Located in the up-market district of Belgravia, just to the west of Hyde Park Corner. The Minema Cinema opened on 12th May 1973 with a double British premiere of “The Arp Statue” and the Czechoslovakian film “Sweet Games of Last Summer” It was operated by the Savoy Hotel Group, owners of the Berkeley Hotel next door.
The cinema was located in a basement and was fully air conditioned. Seating was in rows of about 9-seats across, with access only available from an aisle on the left side. It was a very popular art house cinema for many years and was last operated by the Curzon group of cinemas. It closed on 30th May 2000 with Ralph Fiennes in "Sunshine". Despite booming attendances, the lease had come to an end and the owners of the Berkeley Hotel had decided the space could be put to a more profitable use. It became an up-market furniture store known as ‘The Red Fort’. In 2011, the ground floor entrance is part of a car salesroom. In 2020 it was demolished for a rebuilding of the Berkeley Hotel.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
Saw Greenaway’s ‘The Draughtsman’s Contract’ here in 1980s. The best London art cinema in my opinion.
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a press ad from dec 1979 for the film Mortiz Lieber Mortiz showing at the Minema
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/4701651692/
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This is worth a watch.
Looking at Google Street View, all traces of the Minema were demolished during the major rebuilding of the Berkeley Hotel in 2020, today a new building stands in its place.