A letter to save the Odeon cinema in Florence was signed by 48 operators of the culture and cinema of the city, addressed to the public and private bodies involved in various capacities in the Giunti-Odeon project (presented in a recent press conference). An appeal with an online petition for the Odeon cinema in which it is requested that the parties involved do not alter its structure and do not modify the charm, the historical identity and the cinematic function of the room.
“As cultural and cinema operators of the city of Florence – write the signatories – we wish to express all our concern for the ‘Giunti-Odeon’ project which announced the opening of a bookshop and a restaurant bar in the Piazza cinema Strozzi. A ‘new look’ that envisages the transformation of the Cinema into a ‘multifunctional structure’ with ‘the ambition of being one of the most beautiful libraries in the world with all the arts mixed together and not in separate environments’. The architectural project of development of Giunti-Odeon is entrusted to Studio Benaim. We believe – it is underlined in the appeal – that Florence cannot afford to see the most important historical room still in the city center resized or, worse, distorted. The Odeon is a cinema which for decades has been the fulcrum of our film culture and is still one of the most popular theaters today. From 2008 to 2016 it was the home of the most important film festivals in the city. nte the 50 days of Cinema in Florence. For many of us it has been, and still is, an indispensable place for socializing, research, cultural and professional growth “, the signatories conclude.
