Chinatown Cinema

Mid City cinemas wasn’t originally conceived of as a place screening Chinese cinema, but it’s connection to migration goes way back. 200 Bourke Street was originally the site of the Parker Brothers Restaurant Cafe Hotel, one of a chain of luxury hotels in the Melbourne central business district. The Hotel employed many Catalans who migrated to Australia during the 1920s. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the cinema was designed and built. The architecture firm Bogle and Banfield had a vision for a development comprising of two cinemas, a car park and shopping centre. After the design was drawn up, Hoyts was approached to run the cinema and a deal was struck. The Mid City complex is a recognisable example of Brutalist architecture in Melbourne. Some other buildings who share the style are the Russell Street car park and St Vincent’s hospital.

In 1992 Mid City was leased to the Chinatown Cinema Corporation. At first, the majority of films screened came from Hong Kong, home to the third largest motion picture industry in the world.

Kit Leong’s career in the film industry began working as a front of house manager. He would hear stories about his boss, a film distributor, would travel the world to attend film events.

According to Kit, the cinema now shows many more films from Mainland China, as well as expanding to exhibit films from India, Nepal and Korea.

Although the clientele has changed over the years and cinema is not as much of a central hub of activity the way it was before the internet, Kit says the cinema still offers a unique and niche experience. For Australians (and indeed visitors to Australia) who have a connection with another culture or language, the cinema provides a space to enjoy and maintain these links. What’s more, the cinema allows punters to experience these connections together, creating a stronger sense of community.

We've put together a virtual reality tour using 360 Panono cameras for you. Click in below to tour one of Mid City's cinemas. It's no longer in use (it's now a bookshop), but it's original interior remains.

Hyland's Bookshop - entry of store

Hyland's Bookshop - end of store

Hyland’s Bookshop - natural lighting

The Westgarth Cinema was built in 1921 and was originally known as the Westgarth Picture House. It was officially opened on October 20th, 1921, opening with a large gala event. Not long after completion the Great Depression struck, with the box office receipts down 25%. In 1929 the Westgarth was refurbished to accommodate new types of films – talkies. During the war years the cinema catered to the public seeking both entertainment to distract them from the war and footage of the war.

The cataclysmic arrival of television in the 1956 saw cinemas closing their doors at an unprecedented rate. This may well have spelled the end of the Westgarth if it wasn’t for one man. Greek immigrant Peter Yiannoudes acquired the cinema in 1966 for $70,000.

During the 1970s and 80s the Westgarth became a multi-use venue, with Indian, and Turkish films shown and concerts. New technologies threatened the survival of the Westgarth.

In 1987 a new partnership was formed between the Westgarth and Melbourne cinema icon the Valhalla. In 1996 the Westgarth returned to the direct management of the Yiannoudes family. The Yiannoudes family retained control of the cinema until 2005 when art house chain Palace Cinemas leased it from the Yiannoudes family. Today the Westgarth is operated by Palace Cinema.

Much of the emergence and success of Greek Cinema in Melbourne can be attributed to one young entrepreneur – Peter Yiannoudes. Yiannoudes arrived in Melbourne in 1956, from Cyprus and quickly noticed a gap in the market for Greek films. Prior to his arrival, there were few Greek films being distributed in Melbourne let alone Australia and the ones that were exhibited were usually of poor quality. He soon began importing films to nourish the homesick hearts of newly arrived Greek migrants. For the next couple of years, Yiannoudes toured Australia exhibiting Greek films all over the country.

Within five years Yiannoudes successful tour had allowed his company Cosmopolitan Motion Pictures to buy their first theatre in 1961, the National Theatre in Richmond. His next natural target for acquisition was the Westgarth in Northcote noted for with its thriving Greek community, eventually becoming the sentimental favourite of the Yiannoudes cinema empire. Over the next 20 years, his cinema empire grew, with Yianndoudes acquiring five cinemas around Melbourne.

Back in his homeland Cyprus, cinema was an important part of Yiannoudes life, one he wished to share with the migrants in his new country. The newly arrived Greek migrants worked hard during the week to give their families a better life in Australia than they’d had back home. Cinema on Saturday was their reward for a hard week of work.

It was of great importance to the Greek community, it allowed them to speak their native language, talk about current events in Greece, socialise with fellow Greeks and keep up to date with cultural trends in their homeland. From the late 60s to the late 80s the Westgarth in Northcote and other cinemas owned by Yiannoudes exhibited Greek films. But eventually all good things come to an end.

By the mid 1980s changes in Melbourne’s demographics, SBS broadcasting foreign films, the introduction of home video and decreased demand for Greek films led to the demise of many Greek theatres in Australia. Filling the void of Greek theatre programming was the Greek film festival founded in 1988 by Yiannoudes to carry on the presence of Greek cinema in Melbourne. Running for three weeks the festival aims to bring the best Greek films to cinema lovers across Australia. The organisers of the festivals are focused on bring Greek cinema to Melbourne’s Greek community and non-Greek Australians alike.