The Heart of Independent Cinema

The overwhelming takeover of the minimalist white, grey and beige makes your first time at The Electric feel like a Back to the Future (1985) car ride into the vibrant past. Walking through the time-stained wooden doors, you experience a feeling of nostalgia for a time lost in the past, with the quintessential toll booth and old-school hand organised billboard showcasing all of the current films on rotation.  

The drop-down chandeliers, red leather chairs and dark chestnut crowned bar feel like a hazy toe dip into a 1940s speakeasy oozing with elegance and excitement. The single cinema screening room fills with the perfect blend of newcomers looming over the decadence with countless photo snaps whilst the old-time regulars navigate around as easily as though it was their childhood home.  

The Electric creates an atmosphere of instant comfortability like no other, a place where people happily come alone, with friends or as a family night trip. But it is in danger, which makes the potential threat of closure of The Prince Charles Cinema (PCC) hurts so deeply.  

The Iconic British film institution saw a colossal 100,000 signatures collected in just one day in a petitional bid to save it. The emotional response was nothing short of extraordinary, tender stories permeated through social media and news outlets showcasing the indelible mark the PCC has continued to leave on people’s lives, relationships, and film memories.  

With its caffeine induced vigilance accompanied by copious bags of sugary stimulants made the sleepless nights attending the renowned ‘movie marathons’ a breeze. These nights, as described by the thousands have been the highlights of birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones.  

If the staggering outpouring of responses to the potential closure of the PCC has shown us anything, it’s how deeply impactful independent cinemas are, and how they have the power to alter the very fabric and heart of the communities around them.  

“If I were to describe in one word how I’ve felt during the past couple of months reading the news, it would have to be, fatigued. I’m not only tired but also immensely saddened at the whiplash-esque speed at which notifications are rolling in, with news of more potential foreclosures of community defining institutions,” exclaimed Mandy Lavia, lifelong cinema enthusiast. Theatres, Playhouses, Cinemas, no establishment is safe from the relentless hands of termination.  

In a recent survey undertaken by Blimey, 64% of respondents answered yes when asked if they had seen any recent news related to the closure or potential closure of independent cinemas. This feels particularly disappointing as 72% of people agreed that independent cinemas offer better viewing experiences and foster a greater sense of community.  

David Sin is the head of cinemas at the Independent Cinema Office. Speaking with Blimey he said, “the cultural and societal impact of independent cinemas shouldn’t be underestimated. I think their biggest sense of importance comes from the fact that they act as social hubs, third spaces if you will, they provide people in local areas with a sense of identity. “People often talk about independent cinemas in their local areas as if they have a stake in them, as though they belong to them, as things that define their sense of home.”  

In a 2024 research survey by The Roots of Loneliness Project, they found that 55% of Londoners are recorded as feeling lonely making London the “loneliness city in the world”. Alongside 45% of people feeling lonely in the entire UK. The US surgeon general, Vivek Murphy, emphasises how loneliness not only affects the mind but also has severe implications on our overall health stating that, “Lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”  

However, a recent health and social care academic study published by Jing Jing, found that, “accessible local third spaces that facilitate community building and provide options for food were seen as vital resources to combat loneliness.”  

The effects of third spaces in countering loneliness is, “people-environment interrelationships”, the stronger the intimate relationship between people and places the more successful they are in fostering a sense of connection.  

Danielle Ryan, a manager at one of the oldest working cinemas in the UK, talks about how The Electric has become embedded in the local fabric of Notting Hill. Speaking with Blimey she says, “we’ve been a part of the  

Notting hill community for over a hundred years, I think in a lot of ways people in the area see the cinema as a preservation of local history, “It’s almost treated as a cherished museum in which people have a sense of pride in.”  

She adds, “The Electric is very much associated with a sort of cultural life and the ethos of Notting hill. Because we’re so small it’s easier for us to operate in a way that serves out local community, we diversify our screenings with baby, access, kids screenings.” The depth of connection between independent cinemas and residents is fostered in a way that feels comfortably intimate. The act of going to your local cinema and being remembered by members of staff, and seeing familiar faces in the crowd, act as a reminder of your place within a community.  

For some, films are escapism, an appreciation of an art form or a submersion into a cultural, social, and political form of enlightenment. The act of going to independent cinemas is far more deliberate than just keeping up with social trends, it’s a journey of self-actualisation and fundamental social establishment. 

Mandy Lavia, 53, has been going to the Electric her whole life. Speaking with Blimey, she said, “The thing about cinema is that is provides a window onto the world, the larger the window the bigger the perspective.  

“To me the range of films and media you encounter at smaller cinemas feels like a gift, it’s a cultural experience, you immerse yourself into that which is unknown, you explore and are enlightened by different stories and walks of life.”