The Labia was opened officially as a theatre for stage performances on 19 May 1949 and enjoyed a checkered period as a mixed-venue for live theatre and the screening of films on the alternative circuit. When current owners Ludi and Ann Kraus took over on 1 September 1989, the Labia was somewhat dilapidated with only one screen. Not unlike the little boy in the Italian classic Cinema Paradiso, Kraus’ first encounter with the cinema was at the age of nine in his father’s movie theatre in Windhoek.
“The magic of hearing the lion roar from screen one cannot be underestimated – we’re still bringing out the old and fixing the in-between,” he says.
As the city’s original and last surviving independent movie theatre after the costly transition from reel to reel projectors to digital took its toll, the Labia stands proud as the bastion of alternative cinema from art house movies, documentaries, foreign films and historical cinema to big-ticket blockbusters. The Labia’s diverse movie festivals personally curated by Kraus, especially his foreign language films, are legendary.
“Looking back, foreign films were far more prominent in the old days. I recall the highly acclaimed Danish film Babette’s Feast running at the time when I purchased the Labia and we opened our second screen in 1990 with the French film La Lectrice (The Reader),” he recalls.
Over the years, the Labia has seen many upgrades from one to four screens and the transition from film to modern day digital screening; but the charm and nostalgia of yesteryear remain very much part of the Labia experience that starts with the old-fashioned ticket booth in the foyer.
The change four years ago from film to digital sounded the death bell for most independent cinemas but on the plus side, this technological advancement has enabled the Labia to compete with the commercial cinema circuit by showing movies as soon as they are released.
“Changing from film to digital was like going from the dark into the light – the quality improved dramatically and films became more accessible,” adds Kraus, although he admits to longing for the nostalgia of the imperfections of the past from time to time.
Another significant change that has contributed to the Labia becoming more successful has been the increase of younger movie-goers. “Our audience is becoming younger as millennials are looking for more ‘cool’ retro places to hang out than the glitzy spaces of the mainstream cinemas,” he says.
This mix of his more longstanding patrons and the new wave of younger Labia cinema goers, has necessitated some significant programming changes. “When choosing our films, our emphasis is firstly on quality – the film has to have merit – but we also need to ensure that the film has commercial value and will sell tickets. We no longer consider ourselves as strictly art-house although art-house films are still part of our programming,” he adds.
Looking at the future with the increase in streaming, downloading and watching movies on laptops and cellphones, Kraus is optimistic and believes the Labia is less affected than its mainstream counterparts. “We hope we still provide a little bit of magic by allowing our patrons to make an event out of visiting the Labia,” he says.
The Labia Movie Theatre is situated at 68 Orange Street.
Online bookings may be made through Webtickets. For more information visit www.thelabia.co.za or call 021 424 5927 for more information.
