Svetozor Cinema and Art House Films English Subtitled

Světozor stands for two things: cinema and ice cream. Ovocný Světozor for ice cream and Kino Světozor a cinema that screens arthouse films with English subtitles. The cinema opened in 1918 as a regular movie theater, then it was popular as a cabaret theater, then again a regular cinema and now a theater showing Art-house films. You will never find blockbusters in Kino Světozor, only movies not shown in the multiplex cinemas.

Světozor Movie Theater and art House Films

Světozor, Bio Oko and Aero are three famous art house cinemas in Prague. Světozor screens a premiere every week, has documentaries on Mondays and experimental genres such as video art, cartoons, short films on Wednesdays. There are also special days for seniors, children and the deaf.
The French Film Festival traditionally takes place at the end of November in kino Lucerna and Kino Světozor. The German film festival is also usually in the same cinemas and also in November.

Kino Světozor and the Kinomat

The golden era of Světozor dates from 1968 to 1971 with Kinomat. This was world’s first interactive film, conceived by Radúz Činčera and shown in the Czechoslovak Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, Canada. Nine times the film is stopped and a moderator appears on stage to ask the audience to choose between two scenes. After the vote, the movies continues with the chosen scene.

Art Nouveau Gem

The Světozor cinema was built between 1914 and 1918 and architecturally belongs to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. It was the brainchild of the former mayor of Prague and Member of Parliament. The construction of the cinema took place simultaneously with the construction of the entire building complex.

The architect was Osvald Polívka (1859-1931). He was also the (co-)architect of the Obecni Dum, the new town hall, the Česká spořitelna bank and many more buildings in Prague. He was praised for his spatial visualization ability the use of materials, but was also criticized for a certain degree of over-decoration.

Location

Kino Světozor has two screens and ticket prices are usually slightly lower than for multiplex cinemas. Discount tickets are available for a daytime film screening.

Cinema Světozor is located in the Světozor Passage, in the middle of Wenceslas Square, where the Václavské náměstí tram stop is located. Right in front of Světozor is the Lucerna Passage with the famous statue of David Černý and the historic Lucerna Cinema.

Address: Kino Světozor, Vodickova 41, Nove Mesto, Prague

Further reading
Cukrárna Ovocný ice cream parlour and cafe
Palac Akropolis Temple for Alternative Music

photo Marianne Crone