The film center is one of many reasons to love downtown
Author Elizabeth Barrett Browning once famously asked “How do I love thee, let me count the ways.”
I do notice people occasionally roll their eyes and suddenly remember they have an important meeting elsewhere when I start waxing poetic about the beauty and history of downtown, but I am happy that more often than not whoever I am talking to jumps in with their own set of reasons for loving downtown.
Recently, one of these conversations turned to the Robinson Film Center, a small and very personal treasure that sits in the 600 block of Texas Street, downtown’s original majestic promenade. Robinson Film Center is a remarkable story of a wing and a prayer, of a public and private collaboration that has managed to bridge the gap between downtown’s past and its future. In the lobby is a plaque that tells a short story about many years of neglect.
In 2001, the Downtown Development Authority and the Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation purchased this building, saving it from possible destruction. The Robinson Film Center gratefully acknowledges this support.
How did it come to that? In 2001, the building at 617 Texas, the former Winter’s Department Store, was vacant and in distress. The once-beautiful façade had been covered with plywood, the roof had collapsed and the owners had decided that demolition was their most viable option. The possible damage that would be caused to the buildings on either side loomed large, and the fear was that those buildings would be structurally weakened.
Determined to preserve the integrity of Texas Street, Downtown Shreveport Development Corporation purchased, stabilized and restored the building and then donated the use of the property to the Red River Film Society. The DDA contributed $680,000 to assist the Film Society in a capital campaign to continue restoration efforts and adapt the building to house the cinema and associated activities. Together the DDA-DSDC Partnership contributed in excess of $1 million to this project, which became known as the Robinson Film Center. Further donations from Bill Robinson, Willis-Knighton, the Community Foundation and many other businesses, agencies and individuals helped create the warm and inviting space that we know today, a place that is more than just a movie theater, an event space or a restaurant. It is a glue, and it is a beacon.
Little did DDA or DSDC know when they were digging pennies out of the couch for the rehab that the “little theater that could” would become a favorite gathering place and would shine a light on the possibilities of downtown.
Reviews on Trip Advisor call RFC a “quaint and charming little theater,” and that it is. RFC brings people together in an intimate way to share movies, stories, books, experiences and meals.
It is the bar in “Cheers” where everyone knows your name (and how you like your hamburger), it is the theater that brings movies you have likely never heard of but go for the heck of it and end up crying at, laughing out loud and talking about days later. It is a place that feels nothing like a chain or multiplex and everything like a very close friend that you want to cherish and protect.
Over the past months with Netflix and Redbox and movies-on-demand, the landscape of small theaters has been changing and the challenges have become more daunting. It has become more important than ever to support those places we love – like Robinson Film Center – with our donations, memberships and presence.
As you are looking to make your holiday purchases this year, I would ask that you consider buying a membership or sponsorship or making a donation to this wonderful little center city jewel.
Help Robinson Film Center continue to be that place where experiences are made every day and where downtown’s story continues to be told. Help us keep this unique and wonderful venue strong.
Liz Swaine is the executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. She can be reached at liz@downtownshreveport.com.
