Cineteca Nacional de Mexico

This cinema is so much more than your average movie-watching destination. Its halls contain a trove of cinematic treasures.

A highlight is the archive that protects and preserves Mexico’s most important film collection. This archive was created thanks to a curious legal deposit law that stipulated that if a production company wanted to shoot its films in Mexico, it also had to donate a copy of the film to the institution.

The Cineteca Nacional de Mexico has a long history of preserving cinema. It opened in 1971, though after a fire in 1982, the institution moved into a new and improved place, which it still maintains today. The modern Cineteca specializes in independent cinema, though that doesn’t prevent the institution from showing some blockbusters.

There’s so much more here than what you’d expect to find at your average cinema. One of the theaters is located outside in the gardens, making for a pleasant outdoor experience. The space also boasts an additional video library, where individuals or small groups can make a  request to use a private room to watch a vintage film.

The most emblematic space is the Plaza del Cubo, named for a sculpture that has existed there since before the Cineteca was built. There are coffee shops, bars, and stores that specialize in cinematographic items for collectors. As if that were not enough, the space also has a series of galleries and a museum that constantly changes exhibits. In the past, the displays have focused on Stanley Kubrick, Disney, Hitchcock, and exhibits related to Mexico’s own film history.