Former Teguise Cinema Put on the Market After Nearly Three Decades of New Life

The old Cine de Teguise – one of the most eye-catching buildings in a town full of beautiful places – is up for sale. Current owner Indigo Bucher recently sat down with us to tell us the story of a Lanzarote love affair.

Indigo bought the cinema in 1997, inspired by the classic film Cinema Paradiso, which is set in a similar small-town cinema in rural Italy. Initially, he had plans to re-open it as a cinema space, and even had talks with the directors of film festivals. But finally he opened his Emporium shop in the building, selling beautiful and eclectic furniture and decorations from China, Africa and other sources.

The cinema and the beautifully presented shop, have become fixtures on the Teguise tourist trail, and Indigo says that some tourists even come to the town specifically to visit the shop after seeing it on social media. “Business is good” he smiles.

The cinema was built in 1961 – the original blueprint from 1958 is framed in the entrance – and operated from 1969-70 until the mid-1980s, when videos became widely popular. One of the original projectors also stands by the door, beneath some vintage film posters, and up above the entrance arches, Indigo has converted the projection booth to his own personal living space.

Although closed for over 40 years now, the cinema still persists in the memories of many locals. Indigo smiles as he describes the “beautiful stories” of how locals have entered his shop just to revisit the place where they shared their first kiss or fumble in the back rows of the darkened theatre.

Modifications have been made to the building – the shop includes the premises of an adjacent home that was knocked through – but the 600 square-metre main room is still recognisably a theatre, with a small stage area and large screening wall. The exterior has been maintained splendidly, with large archways guarded by replicas of Teguise’s famous lions, wooden balcony fences and a smart red and white paint scheme.

Indigo admits that he’s selling the cinema – and possibly the business – with a heavy heart. His children don’t wish to take over the business, and he himself has plenty of other plans for the future, including managing his parents’ estate. His mother, Heidi Bucher, was an internationally-famous sculptor whose centenary is this year and retrospective exhibitions are planned in Athens and New York.

Indigo would love to see the space used for cultural purposes. Teguise is, after all, the artistic heart of Lanzarote, and he has been an important part of that. But, as the building is too young to be listed as a heritage site, he admits that a new owner can do what they like with it.

“It’s hard to let go,” he says sadly, “But it’s been a beautiful experience.”