Following the city's press conference, the college put out a statement saying they appreciated Carollo's ideas for the theater and were willing to implement them. Representatives from MDC did not attend Tuesday's protest. YouTube already exists," says local filmmaker Chris Molina, who started an online petition for the theater that has garnered more than 6,000 signatures. "Joe said he wants to do a tourism center here and charge people to come in and see commercials for things to do around the city. Supporters of MDC's continued operation of the theater say Carollo's plan sounds impractical. The theater also features films in a variety of languages, including Argentina 1985by director Santiago Mitre, which is airing right now at the theater in Spanish with English subtitles.Ĭarollo also said that the city plans to turn the Tower Theater into a visitors center - though one already exists just a few feet west at Domino Park - where tourists can browse tours and pick up pamphlets that outline places to visit in Miami and Little Havana. The college currently hosts an exhibit by Cuban-American visual artist Daniel Marin until October 12. Several observers pointed out that under the college’s management, the theater already has the kind of programming to which Carollo alluded. "The city administration has been of the belief that the use of the Tower Theater is nowhere near its maximum use." Photo by Joshua Ceballos "I wanna thank Miami Dade College for the years that it managed the Tower Theater, but as with everything else in life, everything changes," Carollo said during the conference. At a press conference on Monday at Miami City Hall, City Commissioner Joe Carollo, whose district includes Little Havana and Calle Ocho, said the city wants to expand the services provided at the Tower Theater to include art exhibitions and Spanish-language films. The city notified MDC in a letter last month that it was terminating the college's management agreement on the property and taking over once the contract expires on January 2. "Miami Dade College has done an excellent job running it, and we need to preserve our Little Havana landmarks." I've been coming here since I was 9 years old," Ana Roca, professor emerita of Spanish and linguistics at Florida International University, tells New Times. Still, others were longtime residents of Little Havana who remember arriving in Miami from Cuba in the 1960s and watching pictures at the Tower Theater to learn about American culture.Įach of the protesters came together with a unifying mission: to "save the tower" following the City of Miami's decision to oust Miami Dade College (MDC) as operator of the historic theater, a post the college has held for the past two decades. Some were aspiring artists who dream of seeing their works on the venue's silver screens. Some attendees were experienced filmmakers whose movies have won awards at the Miami Film Festival. Amid the barking of street vendors and the clatter of game pieces from nearby Domino Park, a group of demonstrators gathered outside the Tower Theater on Tuesday, October 4.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |