Thursday, 29 May 2025
Friday, 9 May 2025
Rio Cinema to screen "Save our Heritage" and "Hands off" on Saturday 24th May as part of Hackney History Festival
As part of the Hackney Society's "Hackney History Festival", which includes walks talks visits and events, the Rio Cinema will be screening two of film director Winstan Whitter's documentaries and hosting a Q&A with Winstan and his collaborator on the films, local solicitor activist Bill Parry-Davies. The Rio Cinema filmshow begins a 1.30pm on Saturday 24th May.
"Save our Heritage" tells the story of our community's battle to try and save Dalston's architectural and cultural legacy from demolition and re-development as an enclave of private high-rise flats.
At risk were locally listed Georgian houses, the oldest surviving Circus entrance in the UK and the "greatest cinema in the British Empire". These heritage buildings had become home to the legendary "Four Aces" reggae club and the "Labrynth" rave venue.The redevelopment scheme was to be subsidised by public funds paid for by Hackney borough residents, the Greater London Authority and central government.