Broadway Cinematheque

It’s a «cinematheque», not just a cinema. Well but I will just keep calling it a cinema for now.
I remember when I was young (wayyyy too young), this cinema opened and offered membership to all movie lovers, for a very small annual fee. I got the membership thanks to my dad, and naturally this was the place I went to, when I ever asked a girl out for a movie first time in my life (it was Miyazaki’s Whisper of the Heart, or 耳をすませば /​夢幻街少女, in 1995).
But it’s more than just memory. The cinema is conveniently located in Yau Ma Tai, but also quite interestingly hidden inside an estate, like it is never intended for general public.
It has since become my go-​to place for non-​mainstream movies, whether it is local or foreign. I still remember a lot of movies I watched here quite specifically. Breathless is one of them, Paris, je t’aime was another one.
I must admit that, to many of your eyes, they are still pretty mainstream. And for the other half of you, you may on the other hand think I’m pretty pretentious or being pseudo-​intellectual. Don’t get my wrong, I like Hollywood movies as much as the guy next to me, but once a while you want to see some movies that «break the formula», and in Cinematheque Broadway you can find them available, all year round.

You might constantly ask yourself, why is that every cinema shows the same movies with such a small variety? Well, I do anyway. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with money and pleasing the masses. In fact I’m totally sure that is the case.
Cinematheque is a quaint, little cinema between Jordan and Yau Ma Tei. The name, a poor but straightforward attempt, hints at the nature of films shown. Now, I’m a bit of a film buff so finding this place was a breath of fresh air and as you may know, that’s not easy to find in smog-​filled Hong Kong. And the range of independent/​low budget films and films that require subtitles or a fluency in a European language is not even the best part! Below the cinema houses are two lovely little spots that combine perfectly to help an artist, or aspiring artist, to broaden their knowledge of… well… art. The first is a small library of books that connects with a café-​type restaurant that says, if you’re going to be creative, here’s the spot! It would say that if it could talk English, I’m sure. The second is a room that sells all sorts of films that you’ve never heard of. Mind you the food is a tad over priced and the books predominantly in Chinese, however, the spaghetti Bolognese is a safe choice.
The character of the cinema is one of a kind in Hong Kong and well worth the visit. Nestled between the Yau Ma Tei theatre and the all-​night fruit market it makes for an interesting date night, that’s for sure. So if you get bored of Transformers 12, or another Marvel movie then be sure to help support the little guys in the film industry. You may even catch me there writing another article like this one!

Remnant of Hong Kong past, Cinematheque Broadway reminds one of the arthouse cinemas in London, Paris or LA. Often the place where one can see a hipster or two taking in the French film festival or a new offering from legendary Hong Kong directors — book a ticket into the world of cinema and have a eggs benedict at their cute and cheerful café located right smack in the middle of a bookshop which carries incredible zines from around the world!
A great mix of new and old releases in their cinema program too.
Their DVD and poster shop is also difficult to resist. I often grab a coffee and spend hours perusing their shelves for indie, classics or new releases and at great prices its hard to beat… a great day out (and away from the centre of Hong Kong) this is precisely what Hong Kong needs more of (though perhaps more centrally located for those not living in Yau Ma Tei!)