Gecko Celebrates Move to Larger Home

The red carpet is being rolled out – at least metaphorically – for the opening of the new Gecko Theatre in Motueka tonight.

After sharing a building for the past five years, the cinema has moved to its own premises at 23b Wallace Street.

The new arthouse cinema has two screens and some new projection equipment, but the funky spirit of the Gecko remains.

A week before tonight’s opening, owner Willy Cameron still wasn’t sure what the festivities might be.

Cameron, his partner Rewa Glasgow and Ted Besdevant are the three remaining active owners of the Gecko. About 20 more community shareholders own half of the cinema, which opened at the beginning of 2003.

Cameron says all the owners are in it for the love of movies.

“We’ve managed to make enough to not go out of business, and that’s about all you can say for it.”

Still, he’s proud of what they have achieved in bringing movies to Motueka, and is cautiously optimistic about the Gecko’s new chapter.

“I’m looking forward to it and I hope people enjoy it.”

Besdevant, who also chooses the movies for the Gecko, says the extra screen gives him much more flexibility in programming and will let the cinema show more movies.

But there’s still no magic formula for picking popular movies.

“If I could answer that question, we would have a winning operation.”

Period dramas tend to do well, he says – “people like costumes” – and true stories such as The Motorcycle Diaries and Touching the Void have been among the most successful films for the Gecko.

But dark subject matter is a turn-off for many. Despite rave reviews and an Oscar- nominated performance by Julie Christie, Away From Her’s story of Alzheimer’s disease did not entice audiences.

“I still get goosebumps just talking about that movie”, says Besdevant, proving that for Motueka’s cinephile pioneers, the arthouse still thrills.

All tickets will be $9 for today’s opening day, beginning at 3pm with a screening of Bonneville.

Other opening night movies are Love in the Time of Cholera, I Served the King of England, Red Road, Change of Address and Interview.

The Gecko is at 23b Wallace Street, Motueka; ph (03) 528-9996; on the web, www.geckotheatre.co.nz.

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