The Gardena Cinema, a family-owned and operated theatre, is not going anywhere just yet.
Judy Kim is the owner of the 800-seat theatre that has withstood the test of time, making it through a pandemic and a home streaming craze that has sent bigger chains into bankruptcy.
That hasn’t deterred Kim, who has a law degree and was a deputy district attorney at one point. The theatre holds special value not just to her and her family but to the community as well.
Kim’s parents, Nancy and John, bought the theatre when she was just 4 years old.
Kim’s dad, 83, is a retired engineer, and her mom passed away in 2022. The owner, who still refers to her mother in the present tense, says her mother instilled something in her that drives her to keep the place open.
“My mom loves this theatre so much. She doesn’t want to let it go,” said Kim. “This place is so full of memories. I thought, ‘How awful would it be to just tear this place down?'”
From first dates to birthday parties, Kim says people remember their parents taking them to see a movie after a long day.
Kim has followed in the footsteps of her Korean immigrant mother by talking with moviegoers on a first-name basis, right by the nacho dispenser.
The Gardena theatre is now up for sale, but Kim says she is trying to keep her mom’s dream alive in the process. The owner has set up a non-profit called Friends of Gardena Cinema, hoping that someday they’ll be able to take over when she’s no longer able to.
“I feel a sense of responsibility to continue the place, to provide a place for the community to come to,” said Kim.