Locals attend Ster-Kinekor Musgrave final screening

AFTER hosting locals and tourists over the festive period for the last time, the Ster-Kinekor Musgrave movie theatre officially screened its last movie last night at 20:30. Visiting the cinema for the last time, Durban filmmakers Eubulus Timothy and Dayakar Padayachee attended the movie theatre’s final screening, along with fellow filmmakers and actors, on Thursday, January 12.

Durban-based independent filmmaker Dayakar Padayachee, who has been a Musgrave resident for 29 years, says he has frequented the local cinema since the age of eleven. “At the age of eleven, I came to watch the very first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, at the Musgrave cinema with my family and friends, and the experience was highly magical. It became the first time I fell in love with the cinema – it was home to me. It went on to become an incredible experience after that with friends, drunken escapes and just overall fun.”

Padayachee says the early 2000s were the best era at the Musgrave cinemas. “It was an ideal era of the movie-going experience and the overall entertainment at Musgrave Centre alone. There were so many great films that came out during that era, too, and most of them I experienced at the Musgrave cinemas.”

“It is so hard to say goodbye to a place I once called home – to sit in that cinema, on those chairs, once again, for the final time, and just revel in all the memories I shared with the temple I came to for half of my life. I will miss the smiles of the staff and the experiences with people during the next summer film. And being able to just walk to and fro from it is something I’ll never forget,” said the local filmmaker.

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Musgrave resident and Durban filmmaker Eubulus Timothy shared his thoughts on the cinemas closing. “In the last few years, thanks to the Durban Film Office and The KZN Film Commission, so many of us directors and actors from Durban got to see our films at Musgrave Ster-Kinekor.”

Timothy says that he and many other Durban directors and actors would like to bid farewell at the very last movie screening at the cinema on Thursday evening at 20:30. “To say goodbye – we thought we’d have a small red carpet event with actors and directors who had their movies in Musgrave,” said Timothy.

“Going to the movies is synonymous with the first date, the first holding of hands, the first kiss. It’s only fitting that the very last show is a romantic comedy. Thank you, Avish, manager of Musgrave Ster-Kinekor, for being there for us filmmakers over the recent years. Your input on how we can best serve our films when they are screened will always be cherished,” he concluded.

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Commenting on the theatre closure was Donald Mc Lellan, national marketing manager for Broll Property Group, which manages the centre on behalf of the landlord.

“Musgrave Centre is one of the oldest shopping centres in the country, and it continually improves and evolves to service the community, therefore, change is inevitable. The Ster-Kinekor Group were adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in partial and sometimes full closure during the various lockdown levels. Online streaming services have caused a major shift in home entertainment, and shopper behaviour, coupled with the increased cost of living, means that fewer people are visiting cinemas. Market data and trading densities have revealed that cinemas in the small-format centres are trading well below standard market levels and are not sustainable. Since the onset of Covid, SA Corporates’ strategy in their retail portfolio has focused on introducing convenience retail at their shopping centres and has proved successful to date,” said Mc Lellan.

The cinema will soon make way for a Checkers supermarket.
“Many of our customers do have great memories from the cinema, and it will certainly be missed, however, the decision is based on an adapting business plan that has received positive feedback with the recent inclusion of Food Lover’s Market and Dis-Chem,” concluded Mc Lellan.