There is a long story behind the politics of the issue. The cinema is owned by Max-Film, which is a company owned entirely by the Mazovian Voievodship and controlled by the powerful Marshall of the Voievodship and a few friends of the President of Warsaw. The company is infamous for having destroyed many valuable cinemas in Warsaw, some of them irreplaceable cultural institutions, usually to sell to real estate developers with whom the politicians are thought to have business interests. It runs cinemas outside Warsaw as well and is currently trying to auction off cinemas in three cities where there aren't many other cultural offerings.
A few years ago, Praha was the last grand cinema left in Warsaw, with a huge hall, complete with balcony. But it was dreadfully mismanaged, not offering a good repetuar and the space was being wasted. We used it on several occasions to make film screenings, festivals or public discussions and we saw that there was tremendous interest in using the space - but no vision by the incompetent politicians who run these theaters and view them as potential real estate transactions instead of cinemas.
Five years ago, the old theater was destroyed. It was done in such a way, without proper security measures, that it damaged the foundations of old buildings nearby. A new cinema opened 4 years ago but part of the building is also occupied by the Marshall's office and fat staff of bureaucrats. The cinema still does not have the best repetuar, although sometimes it does OK. But it is very well-equipped and modern, with a nice cafe space and 4 screens. When it was built, the city hailed it as a great investment in culture in the neighbourhood. And it is enjoyed by many local residents. At the beginning of the year it had a record number of visits. Now, despite the fact that it is well-visited, the politicians are claiming it is "not profitable" and has to be shut down.
