BRAZIL - Carlos Costa would never forget the summer day his grandmother took him to the movies. He was six years old when he first walked into a dark theatre to watch O Trapalhão...
nas Minas do Rei Salomão, a 1977 Brazilian comedy that remains one of the country’s biggest box office hits. “When I saw that giant screen, wow, I was mesmerised. I thought: someday I’ll have a movie theatre of my own,” he said. “Fifty years later, that dream has come true.”
In 2022, Costa opened Cine LT3, a 35-seat cinema in São Paulo. Using his savings and credit card, he spent about 100,000 reais ($18,600) to renovate an old garage, buy vintage wooden seats – which he found in an old shuttered theatre in the countryside – and transform the space into a movie theatre.
The screening room now occupies what was once a studio – a space behind the garage of his small company that was left idle during the pandemic. Costa, who worked as a TV producer, opened the studios in 2012 and rents them out for screening tests and commercials. Where cars once stood, there are now tables and chairs where movie-goers can wait for their sessions, along with a small counter where he sells popcorn, snacks, soft drinks and wine. There’s also a small box office where Costa sells tickets to walk-ins. To buy in advance, customers must send him a WhatsApp message to reserve directly. (Jamaica Gleaner)
