BOISE, Idaho — Boise’s Egyptian Theatre is approaching its 100th anniversary, and its caretakers are working to preserve more than the historic building itself.
They want to preserve the memories made inside it.
You can donate to the making of The Egyptian Theatre's documentary here
Executive Director Elliot Prestwich said the story of the Egyptian is ultimately the story of the community surrounding it. Over the decades, the theatre has hosted movies, concerts, comedy, opera and other performances, but Prestwich said some of its most important history comes from the relationships and traditions formed in the audience.
He pointed to the theatre’s annual Christmas movie screenings, where grandparents and even great-grandparents bring younger generations to see films they first watched on the same screen decades earlier.
WATCH | Boise’s Egyptian Theatre works to preserve nearly 100 years of memories
The Egyptian is now planning a documentary to chronicle that history as part of its centennial.
Prestwich said the project would document the building’s history, including its different names, owners and operators, while also recording stories from the people connected to the theatre.
The idea grew out of conversations about how to celebrate the centennial. Prestwich said the Egyptian held a gala for its 75th anniversary, but events like that eventually become memories themselves.
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“You put it on film, you document it,” Prestwich said while explaining the effort to create a more permanent record.
Producing that documentary comes with a $100,000 fundraising goal.
The Egyptian launched an all-or-nothing Kickstarter campaign to help pay for the production. Prestwich said the money would cover costs including licensing historical photographs and other archival material so those images can legally remain part of the finished film.
At the time of his interview with Idaho News 6, Prestwich said the campaign had raised roughly 25% of its goal with 11 days remaining.
If the campaign does not reach $100,000, Kickstarter will not charge donors and the Egyptian will receive none of the pledged money.
Prestwich said that would send organizers back to the drawing board without funding for the film, though he said community organizations and businesses have already expressed interest in helping.
Local filmmaker John Lee May and Feet First Film are expected to work on the documentary. Prestwich said May’s previous documentary experience, including work connected to the Smithsonian, made him a natural fit for a project centered on historical preservation.
The goal is eventually to show the documentary at the Egyptian Theatre, incorporate it into tours and potentially make it available to a wider audience through PBS.
For the Egyptian, the project is an effort to make sure that as the building begins its second century, the stories from its first are not lost.
