Following our Map of Alternative Skopje in the 1990s, we are publishing an interactive Map of Skopje’s Video Stores — an open archive of places where choosing a film was part of the experience.
Before films became available at the click of a button, we had to leave the house. Walk to the video store, browse the tapes, ask what was new and sometimes come home with something entirely different from what we had planned. Some went for the latest blockbuster, others for a horror film to watch with friends (probably “A Nightmare on Elm Street”), and others for a film they could not find anywhere else. Video stores were part of the neighbourhood, and the people behind the counter often knew what kind of film we were looking for before we did.
Our article about Skopje’s video stores in the 1990s and early 2000s led to “Skopje’s Video Stores”, an interactive map with 53 entries. The initial list, compiled from personal memories, membership cards and old advertisements, grew through readers’ comments. Forgotten names emerged, along with more precise locations, photographs and stories from owners and their families. These contributions also extended the archive’s time span back to the late 1980s.
This map follows our Map of Alternative Skopje in the 1990s, continuing the work of collecting and connecting memories of the city. This time, the focus is on video stores — places that, for many, offered a first encounter with directors, genres and cinematic worlds that were difficult to discover any other way.
The map includes Alek, MAG, King, Manakifilm, Ciba, Rudi, Baraka and many others, including video stores whose names we still do not know. Each entry contains a location and archival information, as well as membership cards, advertisements or photographs of the surroundings wherever these have survived. You can search by name, explore the locations on the map and share a direct link to the video store you remember.
Some stories took unexpected turns. The daughter of Rudi’s owner identified its original location and explained how the video store later became a copy shop. The owner of Bobby spoke about the arthouse and alternative films he offered, as well as the tapes he still keeps. Behind each name there may be a story like this — about a shop, its visitors and the films that passed through their hands.
The map remains open to additions. Some locations are approximate, and addresses, photographs or years of operation are missing for certain stores. If you remember a place that is not listed, recognise one of the unnamed shops or have kept a membership card, advertisement or photograph, share it with Arno.mk. Even the smallest detail can help preserve a piece of Skopje’s film memory.
Explore the “Skopje’s Video Stores” map and find the place you once came home from with a film.