Fasnia’s cinema was one of the last. In a country where only a few remained in the capitals and medium and large cities, this municipality lasted, at least, until the end of the 90s with this activity. In those years it was recognized by the National Group of Cinema Entrepreneurs for being “the smallest municipality with an open cinema.” In the future it will be the new cultural center.
This has been explained by the City Council, which has reported that the remodeling works of this property have been put out to tender to turn it into a multipurpose space that marks the cultural agenda of Fasnia and hosts activities of all kinds, also recovering a space with historical character. The initial budget for the works, which are co-financed between the Tenerife Cabildo and the municipal corporation itself, is more than three million one hundred thousand euros. The idea is for it to be a multifunctional space, a benchmark facility in the Region for the provision of services and cultural programming, all after adapting it and turning it into a place suitable for performing, musical and audiovisual activities, providing Fasnia with greater offer.
To achieve this, the building, which will have three floors, will have a patio with around two hundred seats, as well as dressing rooms and rehearsal rooms. On the ground floor there will be the reception and services, the multipurpose room or cinema and theater and the administration; The warehouse, dressing rooms, toilets and rehearsal area will be located in the semi-basement. The security and administration area will be installed on the first floor, and on the second floor there will be two multipurpose rooms (one for workshops and the other for entities and groups), toilets, storage and cleaning. Located on Obispo Pérez Cáceres Street, the property is built on a plot of 514 square meters, of which 475 square meters are built on.
Dance hall since 1952
Although it was built in 1952, by its first owner, Genaro Esquivel Díaz, it was not until a year later when it went from being a dance hall to its cinematographic activity, as Octavio Rodríguez Delgado explains on his blog. The history of Fasnia cinema has been full of demands from both residents and municipal authorities. In 1996 it was acquired by the General Directorate of Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands with the aim of holding cultural events and screenings there. However, since 2012 the municipality has requested the transfer to the City Council and its restoration, which will begin in a short period of time.
