Prague cinemas

The cinema hall Atlas is situated in the historic building that was built in 1942 by two Czech architects – Frantisek Stalmach and Jan Svoboda. Atlas displays good Hollywood, European and native, Czech, films. But still it is not obvious what plays the main role in this cinema: the halls themselves, or the famous coffee house designed in style of “emotional functionalism” inspired by works of Pedro Almodovar.

Prague cinephiles have used to gather at the corner of Wenceslas Square and Stepanska street since 1907 – at that time the first multifunctional entertainment complex Palac Lucerna was open there, with many cafes, shops and cinema. The cinema hall Lucerna still keeps its historical attraction: the oldest cinema in the town is worth visiting. In the hall behind the entrance into the cinema you can see one of my favorite sculptures – upside down and saddled by Charles IV horse (architect — David Černý).

Though cinema hall Svetozor claims to have never aimed at becoming the place of Prague intellectual cinema elite gather, it happened exactly like that. The story of the cinema hall started in the long-ago 1918, and in 2004 it was opened in the present look and since then it has concentrated on the classy world cinematograph, as well as on adjacent genres such as animation, videoart, and featurettes. The film selection is realized very precisely and makes Svetozor a unique place for all the city.

It is the youngest cinema where alternative film festivals are held and the novelties of the European authors’ films are presented to the audience. Apart from the film shows, exhibitions and concerts are run are. Sometimes before the display the group of the corresponding to the film format performs. Discounts for the students, cheap bar, serial marathons and special morning displays for parents with small kids – due to all these innovations Bio Oko quickly became a trendy place among Prague cinephiles.

The smallest cinema hall in the city is famous for its repertoire: Czech classic films with English subtitles and independent European films that are rare in ordinary distribution. The tickets should be bought in advance. Right before the film show you can face the situation of ticket absence as it once happened to me: this place with its cozy bar attracts numerous foreign students and local expats. One more feature that makes MAT studio extremely cozy is a wide DVD collection that you can take for rent.