Films, trains and knitting: inside Olomouc’s unusual Waiting Room cinema

In the latest Czechast, we travel to Olomouc, where a former railway waiting room has been turned into a small but vibrant cinema. The Waiting Room project offers films and community events just steps from passing trains. In an age of streaming, it shows how cinema can still bring people together.

A cinema where you least expect it

Inside the waiting room|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

At first glance, it doesn’t look like a place where you would go to watch a film. A small railway station on a local line, a handful of passengers waiting for the next train, the familiar sound of bells and engines in the background. But step inside what used to be a waiting room at Olomouc město station, and you find yourself in a cinema—one of the smallest and most unusual in Czechia.

Pavel Bednařík in front of the entrance to the waiting room|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

The venue is called Waiting Room, and it opened only recently. With just a couple of dozen seats, it offers an experience deliberately different from multiplexes or even traditional arthouse cinemas. Its founder, Pavel Bednařík, had long dreamed of running his own cinema. When the opportunity came—an unused railway building offered for rent—he decided to take the risk.

The result is an intimate space where everyday life blends with culture. During screenings, trains pass just outside, sometimes becoming part of the atmosphere itself.

Arriving by train—and staying for the film

Entrance to the waiting room|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Part of what makes the cinema so appealing is precisely its location. For some visitors, the journey is part of the experience.

“Some people even are happy that they can come here by train… they just travel one or two stations and then they are directly in the cinema. It’s amazing,” Bednařík says.
The station lies on a suburban line linking Olomouc—home to around 100,000 people—with nearby villages and smaller towns. That makes the cinema both accessible and slightly unusual, especially for audiences used to driving to multiplexes on the edge of cities.

There is also a sense of rediscovery. Buildings that once served a purely practical purpose are gaining a new cultural life. For many visitors, stepping into the Waiting Room is not just about watching a film, but about experiencing something unexpected.

More than just films

Pavel Bednařík|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

From the beginning, Bednařík wanted to create more than a cinema. His aim was to build a place where people would return—not just for films, but for the atmosphere and the sense of community. That has meant experimenting with the programme and listening closely to what audiences want.

Alongside new arthouse films and classics, the cinema hosts special screenings and local events. Some of the ideas have come directly from visitors—and not all of them are what you might expect.

Inside the waiting room|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

“We started some programs which are quite special and unique. We have a knitting and film club… the ladies watch films and just knit,” he explains.
The concept may sound unusual, but it is already finding its audience. It has created a small, regular group of visitors and added a new layer to what a cinema experience can be. For Pavel Bednařík, that flexibility is essential. In a small venue like this, it is possible to adapt quickly—and to treat the audience not just as customers, but as partners.

Cinema in the age of streaming The Waiting Room cinema also reflects a wider question: what is the role of cinemas today, when streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime dominate how people watch films?

Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Pavel believes the answer lies in offering something that cannot be replicated at home. Cinema, he argues, is still about shared experience—about watching something together, reacting together, and perhaps discussing it afterwards. That sense of connection remains powerful, even in an age of on-demand viewing.

At the same time, small cinemas can fill gaps in the film market. Many titles disappear quickly from larger venues, even though audiences might still want to see them later. A place like the Waiting Room can bring those films back—and give them a second life.

A fragile but hopeful project

Vít Pohanka with Pavel Bednařík|Photo: Vít Pohanka, Radio Prague International

Running such a project is not without challenges. The cinema relies largely on private investment, with some additional local support. Ticket sales, occasional rentals and community engagement all play a role in keeping it going.

And yet, after just a few months, there are signs that the idea works. The cinema already has regular visitors, while others continue to discover it for the first time—sometimes simply by passing through the station. A place once meant for waiting has become a place where people choose to stay.

The full interview with Pavel Bednařík is available in Czechast, the podcast in English about all things Czech—so don’t miss the latest episode.