Photo courtesy of the Jerusalem Cinematheque
1981
Cinema arrived in Jerusalem not long after the invention of film itself. By the early twentieth century the city had already begun to develop a lively moviegoing culture. Cinemas opened across Jerusalem’s neighborhoods, from grand theaters along central streets to smaller local halls, drawing audiences eager to experience the new art form that was captivating cities around the world. Over the decades, film became a familiar part of Jerusalem’s cultural landscape. Residents gathered in darkened theaters to watch stories unfold on screen, and the city developed a lasting relationship with cinema that would eventually find one of its most significant expressions in the Jerusalem Cinematheque.
Among those deeply devoted to the art of film were Lia and Wim Van Leer, passionate cinema lovers and collectors who had amassed an impressive private film archive. Long before the establishment of a formal institution, the couple shared their collection through informal screenings, cultivating a small but dedicated community of film enthusiasts. When they considered settling in Jerusalem, their friend George Ostrovsky encouraged them to think beyond private screenings and imagine something larger. Ostrovsky believed that a city with Jerusalem’s cultural and historical depth deserved a comprehensive center devoted to film. With his encouragement, the Van Leers began developing the idea of establishing a cinematheque in the capital of Israel.
The Jerusalem Cinematheque opened in 1981 with the support of George Ostrovsky, the Van Leer Foundation, the Jerusalem Foundation, and Jerusalem’s longtime mayor Teddy Kollek, who championed cultural initiatives throughout the city. Its location was chosen with particular care. The building sits on the slopes of the Valley of Hinnom, directly beneath the walls of the Old City, overlooking one of Jerusalem’s most striking landscapes. At the time, the site was largely neglected and underused. The establishment of the Cinematheque introduced new life to the area, transforming it into a vibrant cultural destination set against the dramatic backdrop of the ancient walls.
From the beginning, the Cinematheque was designed as far more than a movie theater. It was conceived as a comprehensive center for film culture, dedicated to preserving cinematic heritage while encouraging contemporary creation and discussion. Its screening halls present a diverse program that includes Israeli productions, international films, film classics, and thematic series that explore different eras and movements in cinema. The institution also maintains the Israel Film Archive, the country’s central repository for film, preserving thousands of works that safeguard Israel’s audiovisual heritage and trace the history of cinema in the region.
One of the Cinematheque’s most prominent contributions to Jerusalem’s cultural life is the Jerusalem International Film Festival. Held annually since the early 1980s, the festival brings filmmakers, actors, critics, and audiences from around the world to the city. For several days each summer, Jerusalem becomes a meeting point for global cinema, with premieres, discussions, and screenings unfolding against the backdrop of the Old City walls. Throughout the year the Cinematheque also hosts additional festivals, educational programs, and research initiatives, including projects devoted to the study and preservation of Holocaust-related film and visual documentation.
Today the Jerusalem Cinematheque stands as one of the city’s central cultural institutions. For a few hours at a time, it allows its audiences to step into other worlds. In a city layered with memory, faith, and history, it offers another form of encounter; the quiet, shared experience of cinema. More than a place to watch films, it stands as a local landmark and a testament to the enduring power of the moving image, in a setting that is unmistakably Jerusalem.
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