Audio GuideCinemateca Portuguesa Museu do Cinema

Step through the stately doors of the Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema in Lisbon, and you enter a world where the story of Portuguese film comes to life. Founded just after the Second World War by the passionate film historian Manuel Félix Ribeiro, this institution began with a small collection of reels, cameras, and books. Today, it is a lively cultural hub, preserving a century-long cinema journey and sharing it with visitors from around the globe.

Beatriz Stefani

Inside, warm wooden paneling and the soft hush of red velvet seats evoke the golden age of movie theaters. In the main hall—named for Ribeiro himself and holding over two hundred guests—classic films flicker across the screen. There is also an intimate room with about fifty seats for rare films, plus an inviting terrace for open-air summer screenings, where city lights mingle with the silver glow of the movies.

Tiago Resende

Exhibition spaces offer a treasure hunt through the ages. You can trace cinema’s beginnings with intricate lanterns and shadow theaters from before the first films, or tour glass cases displaying cameras as small as a palm, projectors, sound and lighting equipment, and even handwritten instructions from past technicians. These items tell stories not just of technology, but of people—amateurs, inventors, and directors who pioneered Portuguese cinema.

The Cinemateca’s Arquivo Nacional de Imagens em Movimento protects fragile film reels and lost classics, making sure Portugal’s cinematic memory endures. Throughout its history, from the tight control of the Estado Novo regime, which used cinema for propaganda, to the freedom unleashed after the Carnation Revolution, Portuguese filmmakers have adapted and innovated. The Novo Cinema wave of the nineteen sixties and seventies brought daring stories and new perspectives to the screen, setting a tone that still inspires filmmakers today.

The Cinemateca Portuguesa is more than a museum. It is alive with regular film festivals, themed cycles, and temporary exhibits, bridging past and present. Children and families enjoy hands-on activities with Cinemateca Júnior, while scholars roam a well-stocked library or browse a charming bookstore. For a break, the on-site bar-restaurant serves Portuguese flavors in a welcoming ambience of light chatter and vintage posters.

Whether you are a film lover or a curious traveler, the Cinemateca unveils Portugal’s creative soul, connecting history, artistry, and community—all in the heart of Lisbon.