Culture in times of the coronavirus. Closed cinemas and cultural institutions

A number of ministers, including Piotr Gliński, spoke about the dangers associated with the coronavirus at a press conference held on Wednesday 11 March.

‘The government has decided to suspend the operations of cultural institutions, that is theatres, operas, museums, cinemas and cinema networks, schools and universities of all levels,’ said Minister of Culture.

‘Starting from Thursday (12 March), they will stop operating to the extent attracting large numbers of people,’ added Gliński, asking all citizens to act responsibly.

Pursuant to the regulation, cinema networks (Multikino, Cinema City and Helios), as well as, among others, the Association of Art House Cinemas, have published statements in social media to inform the public of having implemented this order. Cinemas are to remain closed until 25 March, but this date is subject to change depending on the situation. Their future survival depends on the upcoming decisions of the authorities.

The situation is similar for other cultural institutions, such as theatres, museums, operas or art galleries. Yet all those hungry for culture may use the time in quarantine to take virtual tours of exhibitions featured on the websites of various cultural institutions. Theatre plays are also available online – you can watch them on ninateka.pl or on the TheMuBa platform.

Film distributors have also found a temporary workaround. Some films, including the latest Polish releases, are (or will be) available on VOD services. For instance, Jan Komasa’s most recent film “Sala Samobójców. Hejter” is already on player.pl, among others. The screen adaptation of Blanka Lipińska’s book “365 dni” is also to be made available online soon. In this case, however, the distributor has not announced the platform yet.

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