Rural Theaters

[Anchor Lead]

Taking you out of the city and into the countryside, small theaters in rural areas are finding popularity among local residents who don’t typically have as much access to cinema as people living in the big city. Let’s check it out.

[Pkg]

Children wait in excitement for a movie to begin. It's a small theater with fewer seats than in the theaters of big cities, but it screens the same movies as its larger counterparts. This theater was built on state funding amounting to 1.5 million dollars. The two halls screen eight recently released movies 12 times a day. They can show 3D movies and are equipped with a store selling popcorn and beverages, just like any theater in a big city. Now, the locals no longer need to travel for more than an hour to watch movies in nearby cities.

[Soundbite] Lim Byung-oh(Yeongdong-gun County Resident) : "It's close and it takes just ten minutes to reach. That's the best part."

Some 23,000 residents of Yeongdong-gun County, which has a population of 50,000, have watched movies at this theater in the past three months. Small theaters have opened in 19 areas nationwide, including Gangwon-do Province, with the first one opening in Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do Province in 2010. The theaters were built by the central and local governments, while operation was entrusted to private businesses. Tickets at these small theaters are cheaper than those in big cities.

[Soundbite] Park Jong-woo(Director, Theater "Rainbow") : "We try to make this place a cultural facility where locals can spend time comfortably."

Small theaters are helping residents of rural areas stay in touch with culture at a reasonable cost.