About Očova

The member of TRAKT and a documentary filmmaker Marek Janičík made a 30-minute documentary called „Cinema World“ 3 years ago. It is a film about one of last classic (motion picture) cinemas in Slovakia that was in operation for over 60 years. However, the parish council was forced to close the cinema due to lack of finance in order to digitize its film projector. In fact, this is how more than 70% of classic cinemas ceased to exist. Being depicted in the documentary, this tragicomic story was brought to fame and was well-received at international film festivals. Up to now, the documentary has been screened at 26 international film festivals and has won 6 awards. Fortunately, the times have changed and the Ministry of Culture came to realize that local cinemas are an essential element in the cultural life of villages. Along with libraries cinemas used to be the only cultural venues in small towns as well as villages. Accordingly, the Ministry of Culture and the Audiovisual Fund made a decision to create a cheaper version of digitization which would be affordable for smaller communities outside major Slovak cities.

After having been closed for more than a year and several months, the cinema Osveta at Očová was one of the facilities approached by the Ministry to digitize and reopen. The village (also thanks to the documentary) became one of the first three digitized village cinemas in Slovakia that did not shy away and consequently resumed screenings on 8 March 2014. People can comfortably watch latest movies without having to travel to neighbouring Detva, Zvolen or Banská Bystrica. And guess what the exclusive premiere in the reconstructed cinema was. You bet – „Cinema World“.