Videoclub Cine Instan, Spain’s oldest operational video club, continues to thrive in Barcelona’s Eixample district. It has reinvented itself as a vibrant cultural space decades after its 1980 opening.
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The establishment, located on Carrer Viladomat, became Spain’s longest-running video club after the recent closure of Videoclub Consolación in Utrera, Seville. Owner Aurora Depares explained how her family business successfully navigated the challenges of the internet, piracy, and digital streaming platforms, according to EFE.
Videoclub Cine Instan boasts a catalogue of over 47,000 films. Many of these titles are difficult to find on streaming services. This extensive collection has solidified its reputation as a significant cinematic archive for film enthusiasts.
A Journey Through Cinematic History
Stepping inside the video club offers a journey through time. Shelves packed with films rise from floor to ceiling. Visitors can lose themselves among countless covers and formats, including VHS, DVD, Blu-ray discs, and special editions.
The collection also includes recent releases, ensuring a “live catalogue” that is not anchored solely in the past. However, popular classics such as Star Wars, E.T., and Mamma Mia! remain among the most frequently rented titles.
Adapting to Digital Challenges
The video club originated in the 1980s. Depares’ father recognised the growing interest in home cinema during the VHS boom. This model quickly became a social phenomenon across Barcelona.
Aurora Depares recalled the early days, stating, “There were queues in the street to enter, to rent new releases or return films.” During the 1980s and 1990s, video clubs served as community hubs in neighbourhoods, fostering social interaction beyond just film rentals.
A significant shift occurred from 2008 with the rise of illegal downloads. This forced video clubs to compete with “zero price” content. Legal streaming platforms followed, but by then, the industry had suffered substantial damage. People had grown accustomed to consuming cinema at home.
This trend led to the progressive closure of thousands of video clubs across Spain. According to Anemsevi, the number plummeted from approximately 7,000 in 2005 to only a few hundred in the last decade. The closure of Videoclub Consolación in Utrera marked the end of the last video club in Seville province.
A New Cultural Model
Videoclub Cine Instan’s resilience stems from its adaptive capacity. It now operates with a three-pronged business model. It maintains its core film rental service, offering a monthly flat rate of around 10 euros.
This subscription allows 250 members unlimited access to both new releases and the extensive archive. Depares believes this offer remains more competitive than many streaming platforms.
The business’s primary income source now comes from a private cinema with 30 seats. People can rent this space for private screenings, premieres, events, or celebrations.
Additionally, a café completes the establishment. It serves as a neighbourhood meeting point, extending the cinematic experience beyond film viewing and fostering community engagement.
The Value of Physical Experience
The client base includes 250 regular members, families, and occasional visitors. However, the presence of younger generations remains limited. Depares attributes this to a lack of awareness.
She suggests new generations have not grown up with the habit of physically visiting a video club to choose a film or share recommendations. Depares believes that if they experienced it, they might embrace it as a “cultural leisure alternative.”
For Aurora Depares, the “differentiating value” of the video club compared to streaming platforms lies in the overall experience. She asserted, “The personalised treatment and the act of touching, looking, socialising and discovering a film in a video club is not comparable to scrolling on the sofa, alone, in front of a screen.”
Depares believes the sector’s future involves championing this “cultural and social component.” This approach aims to keep alive a valuable way of consuming cinema for future generations in Barcelona and beyond.
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Originally published by betevé. Read original article.
