Virtual Exhibition / EDUCATIONAL CINEMA “ODEON”
previously occupied by National Assembly, by the “Odeon” cinema (since 1882)
Monday-Monday / AUGUST 22 – SEPTEMBER 17, 2022 / SASA Gallery of Science and Technology
At the end of the 19th century, stories about some strange, live paintings that moved on the wall, circulated in the Belgrade bazaars. Stories of travelers who witnessed this miracle came from Paris. Rumors flourished until May 25, 1896, when representatives of the Limiere brothers from Lyon arrived in Belgrade, six months after the first screening in Paris. While traveling to Istanbul, they brought with them the first living pictures in the tavern near the “Golden Cross”. Newspapers announced that this miracle from Paris could be seen live on June 6, 1896 at four in the afternoon, and tickets could be bought for 1 dinar. Even the King of Serbia, Aleksandar Obrenovic, and Queen Natalija attended the performance. Has there ever been anything interesting that could have happened in Belgrade that didn’t end up its premiering in a kafana?
One of the numerous cinemas that will open in Belgrade, near the Church of the Ascension, was the educational cinema “Odeon”. This cinema occupied the space of the “Velika Kasarna” building, where the National Assembly of Serbia used to meet. It was there, on March 6, 1882, that the respected statesmen of the principality decided to restore the kingdom and royal dignity to their independent state. We can read a short comment about the Educational Cinema “Odeon” in an article named “From Belgrade Past” within the “Belgrade County Paper” from 1938: “The old building of the National Assembly, that has the Cinema ‘Odeon’ in it, is still holding. It was where many important historical events took place. Out of respect for tradition, couldn’t we give the cinema a Serbian name?” Perhaps the author of the column forgot that the Romans walked through Belgrade a long time ago and that Odeon was a building dedicated to entertainment, very similar to amphitheaters, but more intimate, which was covered because of the acoustics. And didn’t the passionate discussions of politicians in that same building of the National Assembly sometimes resemble ancient dramas and gladiator fights? Or should they, for the sake of national pride, only be compared to tavern clashes?
