Drive-Ins

In the 1960s, Rio pioneered a craze that swept across Brazil: drive-ins. The country's first one was located at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas — and it was enormous. The parking lot could fit 520 cars. They lined up facing a giant screen that, according to the ads, was the largest in Latin America, as tall as an 8-story building. The speaker boxes — of questionable quality, according to some critics of the time — stood beside each parking spot. Rio de Janeiro would finally get its first American-style drive-in, where it would be possible to watch movies in the comfort — or discomfort — of your own car.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a drive-in. On the left side, we see a structure with several columns spread throughout its interior. In the background, there is a mountain covered in vegetation, with scattered buildings below it. On the right, we see a large roof of an industrial building, with an open area in front of it. On the horizon, there is a line of trees and smaller buildings.

Cine Lagoa made its debut on September 3, at 10 p.m. The chosen film wasn't a big deal: "Pesadelo ao Sol," from 1965, a flop starring Ursula Andress that left no one longing for more. But Jaws, Star Wars, and hundreds of other hits also played there. The screenings, of course, were always at night, but there were also children's sessions, with cartoons for the kids.

Image description: The image is a poster advertising a film. It is in black and white. On the left side, there is a photo of a woman with long hair. In the center, there are illustrations of cars and a cinema. On the right, there is an owl and a globe. At the top, it reads "HOJE ricardo amaral, apresenta:" and "O grande programa do Rio." Below that, "PESADELO AO SOL" is written in large letters. Following this, there is information about the film, including "em cores," "imp. até 18 anos," "ac compl. nac.," "uma seleção wallfilm," "URSULA ANDRESS JOHN DEREK," "FILME INÉDITO - LANÇAMENTO EXCLUSIVO horário," "cine LAGOA DRIVE IN," and the showtimes "18:30, 20:45 e 23 hs."

The ad said that while children could order Coca-Cola, ice cream, hot dogs, and french fries, adults could calmly enjoy their drinks and smoke their cigarettes. Different times indeed!

Besides watching the movies, drive-ins were a chance for people to "make out," especially the young folks who had neither the place nor the money to fool around within four walls, as in Rita Lee's song, "Papai me empresta o carro."

In 1993, after nearly 30 years in operation, the venue closed its doors, following the decline of this cinema model, which could no longer compete with new forms of exhibition and entertainment. Other drive-ins emerged in Rio, such as in Ilha do Governador and Jacarepaguá, but they also disappeared over time.

Image description: This is a photograph of a set built for an outdoor event. From back to front, we see a mountain covered in green vegetation. At the top of the mountain, there is a statue with an upright figure. In the central part of the image, there are metal structures forming a rectangular frame. In front of the frame, there is a large flat wall, also made of metal. On the left side, some people are walking and others are sitting on benches. On the right, there are green trees and a partly cloudy sky.

Drive-ins — including the one at Lagoa — made a comeback in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down traditional movie theaters and encouraged safe leisure alternatives. It didn't last long, and the trend faded away along with the pandemic. But at that moment, watching movies at the foot of the Cristo Redentor was a meeting between nostalgia for the past and comfort in a present full of anguish and pain. A magic that only cinema has.

Image description: This is a photograph of a drive-in at night. On the left side, we see the interior of a car, with the instrument panel lit up by red and green lights. In the center, there is a rearview mirror reflecting part of the vehicle's interior. In the background stands a large rooftop of a building, with some yellow lights turned on. On the right, there is a large screen projecting images of two people dressed in traditional clothing, on a brick wall. The building's rooftop and the screen are lit by artificial lights.