Í bréfi frá Marion Döring, framkvæmdastjóra Evrópsku kvikmyndaakademíunnar, til Íslensku kvikmynda- og sjónvarpsaakademíunnar (ÍKSA) koma fram áhyggjur vegna þeirrar stöðu sem Bíó Paradís er í um þessar mundir. Döring segir það verða erfitt að útskýra fyrir gestum Evrópsku kvikmyndaverðlaunanna, sem verða afhent í Hörpu í desember næstkomandi, að eina kvikmyndahúsið á Íslandi sem sinnir fjölbreyttri kvikmyndamenningu hafi verið lagt niður.
Bréf Döring, sem sent er til Hlínar Jóhannesdóttir formanns stjórnar ÍKSA, er svohljóðandi:
Dear Hlín Jóhannesdóttir,
Thank you very much for informing us on the threatening situation of Bio Paradis which has, indeed, become an important, vital and irreplaceable film institution in Reykjavik, and which has a reputation for its quality programme far beyond Iceland. Theatres like Bio Paradis are pillars of the European film culture, they are public places presenting and disseminating the art and history of film and have to be protected like museums and other cultural and art institutions.
When on 26 April the EFA Young Audience Award 2020 will be organised in 40 countries and 60 cities throughout Europe, Bio Paradis will be for the third time the Icelandic venue where a young audience of 12 to 14 will assemble and decide as part of a pan- European jury which film will be its favourite. And when on 12 December 2020 the 33rd European Film Awards will be presented in Reykjavik and draw the attention of the European film industry and the European public and media to the Icelandic capital it will be hard to explain the disappearance of an established theatre like Bio Paradis.
The European Film Academy wishes to support its colleagues from the Icelandic Film-and TV Academy in its appeal to all those who have the power and will to avert the fate of Bio Paradis being shut down.
With kindest regards,
Marion Döring
Director
Sjá bréfið í heild: EFA letter_Iceland Film and TV Academy.
