Many in Brisbane felt bereft when the old Dendy George Street cinema shut its doors; local cinéastes SAM ROBERTSON and JORDAN BASTIAN decided to do something about it. ALASDAIR DUNCAN caught up with them to chat about Tribal Theatre, the new cinema opening soon on the site.

When Tribal Travel backpackers took over a site on George Street that included the shell of the old Dendy cinemas, it didn’t take employee Sam Robertson long to realise that they were sitting on a goldmine. “I couldn’t believe such a beautiful old building was going to waste without being looked after,” she tells me. “There’s so much history in there – everything in Cinema 2 is original, and the stage is over a hundred years old.” Robertson knew that she could do something wonderful with the site. Several months of intense plotting, planning and restoration later, Tribal Theatre is set to open. 

Former Dendy employee Jordan Bastian has assisted Robertson with programming and coordination for the new cinema, and is thrilled to see the site returned to its former glory. “The building is really important to me,” she says. “Working there was like a little family, and we had a really strong and dedicated audience. It’s really nice to see the building being used for what it should be used for, and hopefully, we’ll get some of those people coming back.”

Robertson and Bastian are hoping that the cinema will provide a more old-fashioned movie-going experience for locals. Setting themselves well and truly apart from the big chains, they plan to show a program of classics, cult favourites and second-run blockbusters – the first three films on the agenda are Casablanca, Pulp Fiction and Pan’s Labyrinth. “The next few months, with the Oscars coming up, we’ll be looking at stuff like James Cameron’s Aliens,” Bastian tells me. “We’ll be showing Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands when Alice In Wonderland comes out, too.”

Robertson also plans to make Tribal Theatre a venue for local creative types to show their stuff. “The last Thursday night of every month will be a showcase for emerging student film-makers,” she says. “The program will be a half hour, with introductions and everyone talking a bit about their films. After that, everyone can go out to the courtyard for some wine and something to eat, then a feature film and an after party as well. We’re also going to have a short film night once a month as well, for film-makers in Brisbane who are not students but who want a place to show their films.”

Robertson’s ultimate plan is to make tribal theatre as accessible as possible for everyone. “Movies are very expensive these days,” Robertson says, “so having a cheap price is important to us. We’re BYO as well. For the first month, we’re having an opening special with $5 tickets for all sessions. After that, adults are $8 and students and members are $6. Then there will be cheap Tuesdays and specials and whatnot.” They’re not just about movies, either. “We’re open to anything that you want!” Bastian chimes in. “If you want to hold a party there, come see us and we’ll arrange a booking. If you want to put on some bizarre art piece there, we’re willing to do that too.”

TRIBAL THEATRE are giving away 20 Double Passes for their opening night on Thursday Mar 11. To be in the running, email and tell them a classic film you would like to see there. Visit www.tribaltheatre.com.au for more.

Be first to comment on this article

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*