Indian language films take centre stage at reopened Winnipeg cinema

15 years after closing its doors, Garden City Cinemas has reopened with a big focus on Indian language films.

From Bollywood to South Indian movies, the theatre will spotlight Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu films, while also playing new Hollywood releases.

"The community is thrilled that we're open," says Thomas Oberlin, the manager of the movie hall located in the Garden City Shopping Centre on McPhillips Street.

"There's a lot of nostalgia just in the building itself."

The double cinema house opened in 1970 and closed its doors after 40 years. Oberlin says the reopening has been in the works for three years, after York Cinema bought it. 

The cinema company is based in Ontario and is linked to theatres across the country like Albion and Woodside Cinemas — all of which show Indian language movies. According to Oberlin, this theatre is the first in Manitoba for the company. 

"It feels great to have this back open and kind of a new life in it," said Oberlin, who frequented the theatre before it shut down in 2010. He says his fondest memory is coming with his family and lining up to see Star Wars when he was young.

While the layout of the theatre is the same, York Cinemas put money into renovating everything including theatre seats, sound systems, screens, washrooms and concessions.

The cinema opened its doors on Feb. 21. Oberlin says there's been a big spike in interest from community members in Garden City, with requests coming in for Hindi, Punjabi and Filipino movies. 

'Really fun for the community'

Payal Pardasani and her husband Rahul Bhavnani often watch Hindi and Gujarati films in theatres when they're available in Winnipeg, but they say they often aren't. The reopening of Garden City Cinema means they have more options.

"It's gonna be really fun for the community," Pardasani said.

Cinema City Northgate also shows Indian language movies, but Pardasani says showtimes are limited and seating isn't the best. 

"We'll have more options for the timings for the movie as well … we'll have a different experience," said Pardasani.

Pardasani and Bhavnani have been in Canada for less than a decade, and watching Indian movies allows them to feel at home. 

"It's not just a movie," Pardasani says, as most of the moviegoers in the theatre share the same language. 

"There's community … you get to connect and then it's just a feeling that everyone is enjoying."

The pair often have to wait for films to release on streaming platforms if they aren't available in theatres, something Bhavnani says does a disservice to the films. 

"It's a different experience … during the movies, we laugh together, we enjoy." 

Winnipeg movie theatre strikes a balance between Hollywood and Bollywood

6 hours ago

Duration 3:11

There is now another option in Winnipeg to watch multicultural films on the big screen. Garden City Cinemas has reopened after 15 years, offering South Indian films as well as English blockbusters.