Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
The Cine Impala in Namibe -- a 600-person theatre, designed by architects Botelho Pereira in 1972 -- takes its name from the African antelope, which is a symbol of the city.

All photography: Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Its roof is formed of beams that create an arch springing from the front base of the stalls to the rear of the projection screen, emulating the leaping movement of an impala. Photography: Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Cine-Bar Tropical in Luanda, Provincia Luanda. Both the date and architect of this city-center Art Deco style cinema are unknown. It is now called the Cine-Bar Tropical Dancing.
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
The brightly coloured Cine-Teatro Impérium in Lobito, Provincia Benguela, was built in the 1950s in an Art Deco style.
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Previously owned by the Benguela Railroad Workers Association, Cine-Teatro Impérium was closed for many years.
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
The building has now reopened as a cultural hub, hosting local activities and events.
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Built in 1963, Cine Atlântico in Luanda was designed by architect António Ribeiro dos Santos and revised by engineer Eduardo Paulino for Angola Filmes. Its very first screening was My Fair Lady.
Courtesy Walter Fernandes/Goethe-Institut Angola
Namibe's Cine Estudio -- designed by Botelho Vasconcelos of Atelier Boper -- was never completed. While it currently lies in poor condition, a rehabilitation project is underway to save it.

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by The Spaces, a digital publication exploring new ways to live and work.

CNN  — 

Angola isn’t exactly the Hollywood of Africa – that honor belongs to Nigeria – but the country is a surprising hotbed of 20th century cinematic treasures. By 1970 there were 50 theaters for a population of just 5.9 million people.

From the late colonial modernist structures of the 1930s, to the open-air cine-esplandas that sprung up in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, these structures served as more than just places to catch the latest flick – they were vibrant meeting points for the local communities.

Many have now fallen into disrepair, but the cinemas scattered across Angola still offer a comment on the African nation’s past. Some are even being restored as part of an ongoing project by the Goethe-Institut to celebrate and preserve the cultural heritage of Angola, as it continues to rebuild its identity after the civil war.

Actor and director Miguel Hurst – the former director of the Angolan Institute of Cinema, Audiovisual and Multimedia – initiated the project back in 2011. He has now released a book, titled Angola Cinemas, in collaboration with photographer Walter Fernandes.

Read more about what fueled Walter Fernandes’ cinematic adventure at The Spaces.

‘Angola Cinemas’ is out now, co-published by Steidl and the Goethe-Institut Angola.