I stared through the crosshairs. The very same crosshairs through which Mike Vronsky surveyed the wilderness stretching across the mountains in the legendary hunting scene from The Deer Hunter. I could almost feel the cold forest air creeping beneath my shirt when something suddenly seemed wrong. In place of the pine trees, a vast, glowing cinema screen appeared, while the walls of a century-old picture house began to take shape around me.
That was when I realised I was not in Hollywood at all. I was inside one of the newest attractions at Szeged Downtown Cinema, a virtual installation called the Time Machine.
This historic cinema is one of the landmark buildings of Szeged, known as the City of Sunshine, and has a history spanning more than a century. It was originally built as a picture house, although it has always hosted theatre performances, concerts and other community events as well.
The building was modernised several times over the decades, but its interior gradually lost much of its original elegance. Its technology could no longer provide the experience expected by twenty-first-century audiences, so the time had come for a comprehensive renovation.
With support from two European Union-funded projects, the Municipality of Szeged completely transformed the building. Everything was renewed, from its energy systems and accessibility to the layout of its interior spaces and even the seats. The cinema also gained several entirely new attractions, designed to strengthen the city’s appeal as a tourist destination and offer visitors a richer, more memorable experience.
One of the most spectacular parts of the project was the complete modernisation of the auditoriums and projection technology. The Zsigmond Vilmos Hall, one of the largest cinema auditoriums in Hungary, was equipped with a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos sound system, new soundproofing and the country’s second-largest cinema screen.
Its royal-blue seats, new surfaces and enlarged stage now provide an excellent setting for film screenings, concerts and other performances. The Balázs Béla and Csőke József halls were also renovated and are now connected by an internal passage, making it easier and more convenient for visitors to move between them.
Another major element of the project was the creation of a unique film experience centre made up of several interactive attractions. It takes visitors on a playful journey through the past, present and future of moving images.
The exhibition focuses on three outstanding figures of cinema who were born in Szeged: Vilmos Zsigmond, the Oscar-winning Hollywood cinematographer; Béla Balázs, one of the most influential figures in film theory; and József Csőke, a major personality in Hungarian film culture. Their lives and careers form a central part of the exhibition, while references to their work also appear throughout the cinema’s interior design.
Visitors can explore film-inspired worlds in virtual reality, try out the Blue Box studio, discover the secrets behind special effects and follow the development of film history on an interactive timeline. With the help of the Time Machine attraction, they can even travel through different eras using their own digital avatars.
The virtual-reality cinema, gaming area, digital guestbook and holographic installations are all designed to ensure that the exhibition is more than a one-time attraction. Its constantly changing experiences encourage audiences to return again and again.
The cinema’s transformation was also supported by an earlier European Union-funded project, which improved the building’s energy efficiency and made it fully accessible. Together, the two developments allowed the century-old picture house to preserve its historic character while becoming a modern cultural and tourist centre capable of capturing the attention of younger generations as well.
The world of cinema is constantly changing. The experience is becoming increasingly technology-driven and personalised, while watching films is becoming less dependent on traditional auditoriums. Yet the essence of cinema remains the same. A film tells a story, awakens emotions and inspires new thoughts.
And every now and then, there is still something special about taking a seat in a genuine old-fashioned cinema. The lights slowly fade, the auditorium falls into darkness, imagination comes to life, and an experience begins that no other screen can truly replace.
Sit back and enjoy our film about the cinema!
The development was implemented from EU funding in the project TOP-6.1.4-16-SG1-2018-00002 under the Territorial and Settlement Development Operational Programme.
Find out more about the project in the Project Finder: Details
