Brynamman Cinema, an independent movie house nestled in a Welsh village hall, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, offering film lovers a magical journey back in time. Despite the dominance of streaming platforms, this unique cinema continues to thrive, attracting audiences with its historic ambiance and affordable tickets.
From Fire to Rebirth
The story of Brynamman Cinema begins with a devastating fire in 1915 that destroyed the original community hall. Less than a decade later, in 1924, local miners contributed a portion of their weekly wages to rebuild the hall, which formally opened in 1926 as Brynamman Public Hall. Today, it stands as a testament to community spirit and resilience.
Visitors approaching the building see an ordinary village hall, but inside they find a fully operational cinema with vintage film reels adorning the walls, a small shop selling popcorn, and a grand auditorium. The interior evokes the golden age of cinema, with generations of miners and families having sought entertainment there over the past century.
Modern Operations and Challenges
Far from being a museum piece, Brynamman Cinema is a modern venue that recently welcomed over 1,200 moviegoers during the opening days of Toy Story 5. Tickets are priced at just £5 per person at the door (£4.75 if booked online), but the bulk of box office revenue goes to film distributors—£6 of every £10 ticket sale goes to the studio.
Manager Tom Smith explained: "How busy we are depends on a few different things. The hot weather can have a say but also if the big studios don't bring out anything major that can also cause admissions to drop. Numbers can be low at times but other times, like with last week's release of Toy Story 5, we have over a thousand people through the door in the opening three or four days."
The cinema relies on a dedicated team of around 20 volunteers and nine part-time staff. It has also received grants to modernize the building while preserving its heritage. A bar now operates inside, and staff still bring round ice cream in trays, with every sale contributing to the cinema's survival.
Adapting to Change
Smith noted the challenges posed by streaming services: "One challenge is the reality that people can get a streaming service at home for under £10 a month – that's less than two cinema tickets. People can get unlimited access to films so they tend to treat going to the cinema as more of a luxury."
However, he believes traditional blockbusters remain crucial: "Cinema will always be here. But I think the relationship between cinemas and distributors will need to be altered in some ways. The percentage we give back has always been about the same but that doesn't make as much sense now because there is so much competition we have to contend with streaming."
Last year, Brynamman Cinema won Best Cinema Experience at the Welsh Hospitality Awards. Smith concluded: "We will continue to adapt. If something changes we try to change with it. But we will always be true to our heritage."
