Century-old Cinema Returns

“Today, we can witness the return of this highly personalized century-old cinema together. I think it is a very commendable thing." On October 26, famous film director Zhang Jianya, who directed classic films such as Sanmao Joining the Army, Polar Rescue, Love Call Transferred, and Emergency Landing, expressed his emotions to everyone at the opening exhibition ceremony of Victory Cinema. The cinema, located at the intersection of Haining Road and Zhapu Road in Hongkou, is Victory Cinema, formerly known as the Hollywood Grand Theater. Opened on February 11, 1929, it was officially renamed "Victory Cinema" after the liberation of Shanghai in 1949. In the early 1990s, it was a well-known art cinema in Shanghai. For a long time, what new image the cinema will return to everyone's view has become a concern for many citizens. Now, the answer is revealed!

In October 2022, Victory Cinema started a renovation project, and it hired cultural and architectural experts in the city for guidance. The main reference was selected based on the old photos of the exterior of the "Willie Grand Theater" in 1931. The renovation project was successfully completed in June 2023.

The renovated Shengli Cinema is a new artistic space that integrates display and exhibition, academic research, forums, and other functions while retaining its core screening function. Besides, it will also become a new cultural and tourism station that can retain nostalgia and provide citizens with a unique experience of cultural and tourism integration.

“At present, there are 10 cinemas, 65 cinemas, and nearly 9,000 seats in Hongkou, which meets the viewing needs of the public. Now, under the guidance of the District Culture and Tourism Bureau, the District Press and Publication and Film Management Office, Victory Cinema has resumed its film industry, opened its doors to the general public, and added new impetus to the film industry in Hongkou”, said an official of the District Press and Publication and Film Management Office.

On October 26, Victory Cinema held an opening exhibition ceremony, with Vice District Governor Chen Xiaojie attending and unveiling.