The cinema was inaugurated on 23 April 1969 as Shahre Farang Cinema.[citation needed] It was renamed Azadi Cinema in 1980. It had two screens.
Located on the Azadi Square,[1] the building caught fire on numerous occasions in 1976, 1990, and on 18 April 1997,[2] which caused its closure. Zeydabadi-Nejad writes, "Of particular importance among cinema halls was Azadi, one of the most popular in Tehran."[3] It hosted the Imposed War Film Festival in 1983.[4]
The cinema was destroyed by a fire in 1998. The site was left vacant for 8 years.[5]
A new cineplex was opened, in 2008. Azadi Cinema Complex now has five screens, one with 600 seats and others with 200 each.[6] The complex is one of the major cineplexes in Tehran, with the one at Mellat Park.[7]
The building now hosts a Cinematheque and was described in the Tehran Times as follows: "It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the city, and is part of the Azadi Cultural and Artistic Complex, which also includes an underground museum."[8]
^Azadi Cinema official website "وب سایت سینما آزادی". Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2010. "Azadi Cinema" accessed 2 January 2011. - "Azadi Cinema Complex". Iran Tour Organization. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
Tehran, Iran
