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VARIETY.COM

01.12.2005 05:50pm

FILM MUSEUM CLOSES WITH FREE PIX

Tom BIRCHENOUGH

Muzei Kino's closure ends 10-year property battle

Moscow's Film Museum, Muzei Kino, shuttered on Thursday after screening movies on its four screens for free for 24 hours as a thank you to the many fans who fought to save it. Its closure ends a 10-year property battle.

The Kinocenter in central Moscow, in which the museum is located, was a joint project completed in the late 1980s by the Filmmakers Unions of all 15 Soviet republics. Part of the reason for its construction was to house the museum, which also is a venue for retrospectives and arthouse screenings.

But the Kinocenter building gradually passed into private hands following the fall of the Soviet era, and its spaces were adapted to commercial use. Today, in addition to a movie theater, it also houses restaurants and nightclubs. Ultimately, the museum could no longer afford the rent.

Its collection of film memorabilia will be temporarily stored at the Mosfilm studio.

Museum director Naum Kleiman has lobbied strongly for its retention, backed by numerous international filmmakers including Quentin TarantinoQuentin Tarantino, Bernardo BertolucciBernardo Bertolucci and critics' body Fipresci.

Now its future depends on Russia's culture funders.

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