The Deadly Beauty of Cinemas
Exhibition by Simon Edelstein
28 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
From Monday to Friday from 11am to 6pm

Special Weekend Openings
Saturday 14 December 2024 from 2pm to 6pm
Saturday 18 January 2025 from 2pm to 6pm
Saturday 15 February 2025 from 2pm to 6pm

Simon Edelstein’s photographs highlight the disappearance of old movie theaters around the world, capturing the splendor of this unique architectural heritage. An exhibition to see and revisit until February 28, 2025, in the common areas of the Mont-Blanc Center, a heritage building situated above the Plaza Cinema, on every floor. Free entry.

Since the early 2000s, Simon Edelstein has undertaken a photographic exploration of the disappearance of old movie theaters, a project that has earned recognition through various prestigious publications. This long-term endeavor began with a pivotal moment when the Geneva-based photographer and filmmaker, standing before the ruins of former cinemas in the United States, felt the imminent loss of an entire cultural universe. Like an archaeologist, he began to traverse the outskirts of cities across the globe—from the USA to India, Morocco to Cuba—capturing the striking contrasts between grandeur and neglect, between the golden age of movie theaters and their sometimes whimsical repurposing. This global journey through abandoned cinemas reveals majestic facades crumbling into oblivion, yet it goes beyond mere nostalgia, awakening a broader awareness of this architectural heritage.

Simon Edelstein
Simon Edelstein is a Swiss director born March 26, 1942 in Geneva, where he lives. He is a photographer, Chief Cameraman and director. Trained at the Vevey school, he produced photography books and collaborated for the magazines Lui and Vogue before joining the television set of TSR (Radio Television Switzerland) as a cameraman in 1966. He signed more than a hundred broadcasts (as “Spécial Cinéma”, “Passe-moi les jumelles”, “Viva”, “Temps Présent”) and worked as Chief Cameraman for Michel Soutter (La Pomme in 1969; James ou pas in 1970; Les Arpenteurs in 1972, in official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, and L’Escapade, in 1974). From 1973, he directed several feature-length fiction films, starting with Les Vilaines Manières. At this time, French critics supported French-speaking Swiss cinema and the rise of “New Swiss Cinema”, where Edelstein’s name rubbed shoulders with that of other directors such as Claude Goretta or Alain Tanner.

Simon Edelstein’s books are on sale at the Plaza Foundation on the 4th floor.

The exhibition is displayed on all floors of the Mont-Blanc Centre. Please note that the elevators in this heritage building do not comply with SIA 500 standards. As a result, only smaller-sized wheelchairs (elevator cabin dimensions 68 cm x 80 cm) can access them. We apologize for this inconvenience and assure you that, starting in 2026, the spaces at Plaza Centre Cinéma (cinema hall, immersive room, exhibition spaces, café, brasserie, and hotel) will fully comply with SIA 500 standards.

Curator: Jean-Pierre Greff
Production coordinator: Antoine Siron
Photographic prints: Olivier Oberson – Photorotation