Eric Murphy, Centretown News
Invisible Cinema will be closing on July 18, until then many of its films will be on sale.Ottawa cinephiles will have one less reason to head downtown after Invisible Cinema closes its doors for the last time on July 18.
A staple of Ottawa’s alternative film community, the independent movie store has been sitting on the corner of Bank and Lisgar streets for almost 15 years. While movie viewing becomes increasingly digital, Invisible Cinema survived by providing the kind of films you can’t find on Netflix.
“They had everything,” says Edward Roué, a frequent Invisible Cinema customer and Ottawa movie blogger. “Foreign movies, they had independent movies, they had mainstream Hollywood, they had cult stuff. I could think of some movie I’d want to watch, and almost invariably, they would have it.”
This doesn’t mean that the store has been impervious to the changing times. During his more than six years at Invisible Cinema, store owner Nick Shaw has seen his staff shrink from four employees to him alone. What finally ended it was exhaustion.
“I can give five different stories that are accurate,” says Shaw, resting his arm on the store’s front computer. He wears his hair down to his shoulders. When the window behind him shines on it you can see a hint of grey down the part.
“You turn a page in life,” he says. “I feel like I’m there.”
Aside from providing film buffs with something to watch, Invisible Cinema is a community space. It’s been home to movie poster art exhibits, concerts, and of course, film screenings.
“It’s kind of seen everything,” says Shaw. “Fights, we’ve had arrests here, and we’ve also had people who randomly met and are now married because they bumped into each other at Invisible Cinema.”
For some, the invisible cinema’s demise is only the latest in a series of blows against downtown movie fans. In 2013, Centretown lost its two multiplex theatres, first the Empire Theatre in the Rideau Centre and then a second at the World Exchange Plaza. The last Blockbuster Video, once a rental giant, went the way of the dinosaurs two years before that.
Luckily, niche movie outlets such as Elgin Street Video or the ByTowne Cinema have more than survived. In fact, carrying a large alternative selection seems to be a shield against the troubles plaguing larger corporations. Shaw attributes this to how hard it can be to find foreign, grindhouse, or independent movies online.
“Last year, Spike Lee did the 87 films you must see,” he says, pointing out that these films weren’t incredibly obscure. “On the American Netflix they had two of the 87. We checked and we had 87.”
It’s this depth and dedication that’s allowed Invisible Cinema to outlast other outlets. It’s also why people are so distraught about losing the store.
“A lot of people are very upset,” says Shaw. “Some people who come from outside of Centretown say they have less reason to come now.”
But he argues that fans shouldn’t be disheartened. Ottawa still has a vibrant alternative film community and the worst thing to do would be to give up on the industry after this setback.
“We still have Elgin video, Glebe video, and the Bytown.” says Shaw. “Which are all run by loving film fans that fight everyday to bring this stuff to the people of Ottawa.
“And the people of Ottawa should not take that for granted.”