Shabby Kim Dong cinema in Buon Ma Thuot

Cinema becomes... water selling point

On December 2, according to Thanh Nien reporters, the Kim Dong cinema complex (Hai Ba Trung Street, Buon Ma Thuot City) had many graffiti images, painted on the walls, and advertisements posted in front of the cinema. The building is in a state of disrepair, the ceiling panels in front of the cinema lobby have been peeled off.

Nhếch nhác rạp chiếu phim Kim Đồng ở Buôn Ma Thuột- Ảnh 1. — Scenery of Kim Dong Cinema (Buon Ma Thuot City) after many years of inactivity

According to the reporter’s investigation, in the past, Kim Dong cinema was very busy, a destination for many people and children during the summer. However, the cinema has been closed for many years, the facilities have deteriorated, and it has become a place for small businesses.

Locals said that people often come to clean up inside the cinema. Although the government has worked with businesses in front of the cinema, business activities still take place every day, becoming a temporary coffee shop... "Kim Dong Cinema is one of the first cinemas in Buon Ma Thuot City. A few decades ago, the cinema had a lot of people coming to watch movies," said a local.

For sale but no one buys

Speaking to Thanh Nien reporter, Mr. Pham Xuan Thang, Director of Dak Lak Film Distribution and Screening Center, said that Kim Dong cinema has stopped operating since 2021. The unit also regularly comes to clean, check, and turn off the power of the equipment in the theater to prevent fire and explosion. "Previously, Kim Dong cinema was a free cinema for children in the 3 summer months. The unit also showed free movies weekly during local holidays," Mr. Thang said, adding that the cinema no longer met the needs of the people. The reason is that the cinema does not have a basement for parking, the facilities and equipment are outdated, and only have HD projectors. In 2023, to meet the people's movie-watching needs, the unit moved the cinema to Dak Lak Film Distribution and Screening Center (No. 3 Van Tien Dung, Tan An Ward, Buon Ma Thuot City) and Kim Dong cinema has stopped operating until now.

Nhếch nhác rạp chiếu phim Kim Đồng ở Buôn Ma Thuột- Ảnh 2. — Shabby images at Kim Dong cinema

The theater used to have a security guard, but since it moved to a new location, there is no one to look after it. The unit has also worked with the authorities of Thang Loi Ward (Buon Ma Thuot City) to deal with the traders in front of Kim Dong Cinema. But currently, trading is still taking place around the premises.

In October 2019, the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee approved the starting price to organize the auction of assets attached to land, transfer of land use rights of the State-owned house, the office of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dak Lak province and Kim Dong cinema. Accordingly, Kim Dong cinema was sold at a starting price of more than 39 billion VND, of which the value of land use rights was nearly 37 billion VND and the value of assets attached to land was more than 2 billion VND.

According to the report of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kim Dong Cinema is an asset for sale and land use rights transfer. Dak Lak Film Distribution and Screening Center is the unit assigned to manage it, currently not in use waiting for the handover of assets according to regulations.