Why Ottawa film fans are shut out of the ultimate experience of The Odyssey

Article content

Museum’s move away from film

Article content

In 2016, the museum’s theatre switched its flat screen to digital by acquiring a 4K laser projector.

Article content

At the time, the Ottawa Citizen reported that the switch would make the image “more bright and clear.” Michèle Canto, the museum’s director of marketing and business operation at the time, said that the move was also necessary because “fewer movies are being produced for the film format.”

Article content

But Hollywood’s most ambitious directors have since pushed to make large format 70-mm films, which they hail as providing an epic and immersive experience.

Article content

Last year, Ryan Coogler, shot one of the biggest films of 2025, Sinners, in 70mm. Denis Villeneuve also reportedly shot scenes of his third instalment of the Dune trilogy in 70mm.

Article content

Still, the switch to digital allowed for 4K digital projection, a new technology in 2016, and gave the museum more “flexibility,” Fortin said.

Article content

Film for example, requires much more careful preservation as it degrades over time. It can also be physically heavy in Imax form, while also being expensive to acquire and maintain.

Article content

Article content

The museum still has the ability to project 70-mm films with an older projector for its dome screen.

Article content

Museum shutters theatre

Article content

On June 30, the Canadian Museum of History shut down the theatre as officials figure out what to do next with it.

Article content

In a statement, museum spokesperson Avra Gibbs Lamey said that the federal government’s spending review and “broader budget pressures were among the factors that informed the decision” to shutter the theatre this summer.

Article content

“The evaluation also considered rising operational costs, aging infrastructure, long-term financial sustainability, and the broader visitor experience,” Gibbs Lamey said.

Article content

The museum maintained that the theatre closing is part of “careful, strategic planning” to ensure the sustainability of the institution.

Article content

“The Museum has a fiscal responsibility to ensure the effective of use of its budgets,” Gibbs Lamey added. “The museum concluded that the current operating model for CINÈ+ was no longer sustainable.”

Article content

Could the future of the theatre be 70mm?

Article content

While CINÈ+ remains closed for now, Fortin said the museum is open to the idea of one day projecting 70-mm films, like The Odyssey.

Article content

Article content

But she cautioned that “licensing fees are always sort of something that we have to look into carefully, and that sometimes limit us.”

Article content

Fortin said that the current “phenomenon” around 70mm Imax has been anchored in one film, but she says “it’ll be interesting to see how that sustains over time.”

Article content

“We’re watching what’s going on in the industry to see how things are moving because it’s changing rapidly,” Fortin said.

Article content

“This year it’s quite interesting to see how everything’s evolving, so we’re definitely attuned to this and it’s part of our strategic overview and review of the space.”

Article content

The museum will also need a “fuller assessment” to ensure the technical standards and licensing requirements can be met before even preparing to screen a film like The Odyssey, she added.

Article content

For Fortin, the future of the museum’s Imax theatre remains a conversation, perhaps one that could include the resurgence of 70mm brought about by Nolan’s film.

Article content

“I know that even though we’ve closed the theatre right now, we’re still maintaining all the equipment and ensuring that it remains operational.

Article content

“We’re doing a strategic review to see, okay, what does the future look like?” Fortin said.

Article content

Article content

Article content