I recently went to watch Steven Spielberg's most recent release "The Fabelmans" in a decent-sized theater at the midtown shopping mall in Türkiye. It was the first time I had gone to see a movie since the release of "Mamma Mia!" in 2008 with a group of expat ladies. It felt like a revival of days passed.

Of course, I have seen multiple film screenings and have been to festivals. To what I am referring here is just going to the cinema to watch a new release on the big screen, which was an activity people previously did regularly and at the drop of a hat. Last week there were only five of us in the matinee showing at the theater that could probably accommodate 100 people. The seating was comfortable and the screen was pristine like most shopping center movie theaters. I couldn't help but reminisce about what the movie-going experience was once like in Türkiye.

Türkiye's cinematic heyday

Türkiye has a long legacy in the film industry and especially during its heyday referred to as the Yeşilçam era in which 250 to 350 films were produced annually from the 1950s to the 1970s. Having starred in 222 films, the legendary actress Türkan Şoray has starred in the most feature films for an actress worldwide.

While the era of such prolific filmmaking ended after the 1980 coup, many iconic movie theaters that opened during the Yeşilçam era in Beyoğlu, which was Türkiye's "Hollywood" and in Kadıköy continued to function for decades, with some still screening films today. Others have been transformed into venues hosting performing arts festivals and exhibitions. However, you can still visit those and several other historical movie theaters to get a taste of the unique ambiance of old times.

Going to movies in '80s

Going to movie theaters on a winter night during holidays spent in Türkiye nearly three decades ago was quite frequent. In summer, the theater houses would stifle but in winter we welcomed that warmth. People would flock to the lobby or cafe to have tea and in those days a cigarette, which just added to the dark and smoky ambiance in dimply lit halls laden with small tables and dark wooden chairs and film posters exhibited in the hall. Of course, there was popcorn, not served as large or laden with butter as they are these days, but the favorite film snack among most moviegoers was a Frigo ice cream bar, which came in chocolate or vanilla flavor.

These theaters would accommodate hundreds, admittedly somewhat uncomfortably especially when compared to the now more luxurious cinema seats in shopping centers. But some would have balcony seating and one in particular the Süreyya Opera House cinema even had the option of renting private booths. But mostly the seating was intimate and the theaters were crowded. I remember bumping elbows with the person sitting next to me and making taller friends sit in aisle seats.

Upon entry, one would wait for a maitre de to show you to your seat with a flashlight and it was customary to tip them. I don't even recall previews being shown before the film. Nevertheless, the endless commercials are now blasted at full volume before the show. However, there were many times when the film reels just broke and you could hear a clicking and experience tears in the pixels indicating some sort of malfunction. In fact, films in Türkiye were sometimes abruptly cut off to offer the audience a 10-minute break. That 10-minute break was a social highlight as everyone would gather in the lobby and cafes and mingle on a cup of tea, Turkish coffee or warm cups of the orchid-root-based drink salep during the break. Everyone would chat about the film and sooner than you know it, the bell would ring and everyone would hustle back to their seats for the rest of the show. At that time, the experience felt a lot different from what it was like in my native United States.

Transformation of Istanbul theaters

The Yeşilçam street in Beyoğlu's Istiklal was the meeting point for the film industry and housed Yeşilçam Cinema and the Emek theater. Alas, over time, Emek Sineması was closed and moved to the Grand Pera as the Emek Sahnesi and the AKM Yeşilçam movie theater were opened in the Ataturk Cultural Center in the heart of Taksim. Festival screenings, discussions with directors and actors and workshops were hosted at both venues.

In Kadıköy, the Süreyya Opera House was the most spectacular venue to watch a movie. Luckily people can still experience the charm as it continues to host audiences but this time for state opera and ballet performances. Meanwhile, the newly renovated Kadıköy Sineması is a movie theater from the '60s that remains in operation today providing an experience like old times.

The Atlas Sineması located in the historical Atlas Passage on Istiklal Caddesi in a building dating back to the late 19th century is another renovated and beloved movie theater that was a popular place to be decades ago. The passage became an entertainment and arts center in 1932 and when the cinema opened in 1948, it was the biggest one in Beyoğlu accommodating around 1,860 people.

Today, those halls have been renovated and broken into smaller theaters of 500, 130 and 85 people. The passage now also houses the Istanbul Cinema Museum, which is dedicated to Türkiye's rich film history. There is a library and a permanent exhibition of props, costumes and equipment used in famous Turkish movies and photographs and posters from Turkish cinema's golden age.

The Istanbul Cinema Museum also hosts exhibitions such as the ongoing one devoted to Stanley Kubrick, which includes costumes and props from films such as "A Clockwork Orange," "The Shining," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Spartacus" and "Full Metal Jacket" and more will be on display until March 1, 2023.