A community of DIY cinema groups are forming in basements, back rooms, bars, and laundrettes to redefine what film means to Liverpool.
Liverpool’s diverse architecture has been the subject of several Hollywood hits, including The Batman, Peaky Blinders and the 4 upcoming Beatles movies set to be released in 2028, awarding Liverpool the honour of being the UK’s leading film and TV hub outside of London as of this year.
However, despite this drive in production, Liverpool continues to fall short of independent establishments to screen these pictures.
Bruno Castro of Liverpool Doc Club said, “There wasn’t a space and opportunity to see differently. And I would say probably nowadays, the level of film production is the biggest there ever was, and there aren’t any opportunities to see them”.
DIY cinema acts as a direct response to this, providing accessible and affordable events to the people of Liverpool who may not be able to meet the rising costs of cinema tickets or have access to the larger mainstream cinemas in the city centre.
People Versus TV (PVTV), a DIY cinema operating all over the city, said, “There’s always been a DIY energy in the city. You can see it in the music, film and art. It’s partly because that’s what we had to do. There was no money being invested in the city, but there were people with ideas and lots of derelict spaces.”
Through creating collaborative spaces, DIY cinemas have become a lot more than just a vessel to screen film; they bring people together in one room to share ideas, create friendships and be a part of something that keeps cinema alive.
Anthony from Anfield Peoples Cinema said “I think even if people come away having not enjoyed the film, they have still enjoyed getting out for the night, having a nice meal, and hopefully seeing something they might not of otherwise.”
“Liverpool is a city where people love stories. I think it’s tradition that we like to experience those stories together and chat, and reflect.”
By creating these organisations that run on a pay-what-you-want basis, culture and community become something that is far more readily available to people in the city looking for a safe space to connect with other like-minded people.
Through expanding Liverpool’s community of creativity, “our lack of independent cinemas has been turned from weakness to something that makes the city stand out,” says Holly from Paraphysis Cinema.
DIY cinemas have allowed many local creators the opportunity to display their work to audiences, expanding and diversifying from the types of productions that are usually screened in mainstream cinemas.
DIY Cinema, therefore, becomes something that aids people to share ideas, engage in conversations and educate audiences.
Without the ability to screen a range of independent and local cinema, the community would be a lot more fragmented.
These organisations continue to connect across Liverpool to understand how to promote each other effectively to ensure that these community spaces prevail through economic barriers.
