Photo by Tropenmuseum / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)
As one of the most favorite entertainment in Jakarta, the cinema industry is growing so quickly nowadays. This can be seen by the advanced technology used for the screen, sound system, decoration, ticketing system, and even the snack stalls. Do you know what is the first cinema built in Jakarta? It is Bioscoop Metropool, and then the name changed to Metropole. It was even named Bioskop Megaria after the freedom of the Indonesian Republic because Soekarno wanted to nationalize all the foreign brands (Dutch) in Indonesia. This cinema was built in 1932 by Liauw Goan Sing in art deco style. Metropole was officially opened on August 11th, 1949. It is located in Menteng, precisely at the intersection of Jl. Pegangsaan and Jl. Diponegoro.
Photo by Gunawan Kartapranata / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)
Initially, this movie theater had signed a contract for just showing MGM movies only. But in 1955, this movie theater was used for Festival Film Indonesia (FFI) and started showing Indonesian movies. Metropole had ever been through bankruptcy by losing after Kartika Chandra who had some theaters, while Metropole only had one. In 1989, this building was bought by 21 Cineplex, the well-known holder of the biggest cinemas in Indonesia. 21 Cineplex then divided this cinema into 6 theaters. The name Megaria then changed again into Metropole by 21 Cineplex Group.
Until now, Metropole is considered as one of the cultural heritage buildings Class A, and not allowed to be renovated by Jakarta’s Governor. Although it looks oldies from the outside, the interior is similar to other 21 Cineplex movie theaters. It also has a café and supermarkets. If you are bored with the usual movie theater in malls, try the slightly different ambiance at Metropole!