Rome, April 3 – The Nuovo Cinema Aquila, a significant cultural landmark in Rome’s Pigneto district, has once again been targeted by thieves. On Wednesday night, burglars broke into the cinema, making off with laptop computers. This marks the third such incident in the past year, leading the cinema’s management to believe they may be deliberately targeted.
Third Incident Raises Suspicions of Targeted Attacks
Giulio Mezza, a partner at Cooperativa Cinema Mundi Onlus, which manages Cinema Aquila, expressed deep concern over the repeated attacks. “Two nights ago, they forced open a back door and stole the laptop computers from the office. This is the third incident in a year, and now we fear we’ve become a target,” Mezza stated. Just two weeks prior, a rock was thrown through a window, and six months ago, desktop PCs were stolen in a separate burglary.
Mezza acknowledged that the Pigneto area can experience periods of increased petty crime, but emphasized that three incidents at the same location within a year felt “too much.” The cinema’s management has filed a report with the Carabinieri.
Investigation Points to Deliberate Entry
Initial investigations suggest the thieves gained entry through a technical room door, which is not visible from the main entrance and falls outside the range of the surveillance cameras. “Another aspect that makes us think,” Mezza added, “the intruders also searched for money, which wasn’t there, and then left. We don’t know what to think. Pigneto is an area where there’s a bit of everything, it could also be the act of someone we’ve sent away from here for causing trouble, but three times in a year…”
Community Rallies in Support of Cinema Aquila
In response to the recurring incidents, a wave of solidarity has emerged from the community. Massimiliano Smeriglio, the Municipal Councillor for Culture, and Nicola Lagioia, a writer and radio host, both voiced their support. Lagioia remarked, “The Nuovo Cinema Aquila is a stronghold of freedom, a point of reference for art lovers, a place around which, over the years, a community has been created and strengthened. To know it is subjected to violence and theft is a wound. All our support and solidarity.”
A fundraising campaign has been launched on social media by cinema enthusiasts, mirroring similar efforts after previous incidents. A post on social media by supporters read, “The most indie cinema in the Capital has suffered yet another vile act of violence and theft. We can’t take it anymore. So yes, no one died, but if we stay silent, without culture, we all die a little every day. Together we raise our voices.”
Future Initiatives and Convention Renewal
The cooperative managing the cinema, which is a property of the Municipality of Rome, is awaiting the renewal of its convention, which has been pending for a year. Despite the setbacks, the cinema has a series of important initiatives planned for the coming weeks. These include an open day featuring screenings of short films by young authors, as well as the Festival delle Terre and Free Aquila events.
The repeated burglaries highlight the challenges faced by cultural institutions in urban areas and the importance of community support in preserving these vital spaces.
