Silent cinema and empty seats at Vienna's Breitenseer Lichtspiele

A general view of the building housing Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

VIENNA (Reuters) - Cinema buffs familiar with movie theaters in Los Angeles, Cannes and Berlin do not necessarily link their passion with Austria's capital Vienna.

But in a quiet suburb of the imperial city one of the world's oldest cinemas has been running since 1909 on a shoe-string budget. Its license dates back to 1905, when founder Anna Nitsch-Fitzfirst started showing moving pictures in a tent.

Vienna's Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema was the place to go to watch silent movie classics such as "A Woman of Affairs" with Greta Garbo in the 1920s. It got its first sound system in 1930.

A visitor watches a movie in the cinema hall of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Over the years, the cinema's technical equipment has been updated several times but Nitsch-Fitz, an 80-year-old who has been running the business for 48 years, never earned enough to switch to a digital movie system.

The former teacher would have had to close the cinema long ago were it not for a small cultural grant from the state and if she had not put in a good cut of her pension.

She invested in DVD and blu-ray players and in a digital beamer and borrows films from small, independent distributors instead of the expensive big ones. She also still uses the old 35 mm projector to show silent movies.

Projectionist Wolfgang comes out the entrance door as a woman walks in front of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

People keen on old Laurel & Hardy movies, Karl May's Winnetou westerns or kids' classics from the 1970s can indulge their passion at the Breitenseer Strasse. They have a good chance to have the cinema all to themselves as the old interior and the program selection do not attract too many visitors.

"I have been coming here for over 30 years once or twice a month," said visitor Axel Walde, 47. He said he always came alone as most of his friends were not interested. "I prefer old movie theaters, they are quaint."

Nitsch-Fitz plans to run the cinema for two more years, to celebrate her 50th anniversary, and wants to hand over to her niece afterwards.

The DVD box of the movie 'High Society' is placed on a desk in the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

"But she only wants to take over if I manage to break even," she said. "So I am gonna have to put in a lot of effort for the next two years."

Nitsch-Fitz's endurance and devotion is appreciated by many local artists who support her. A cult film event with singer-songwriter Voodoo Juergens next Saturday is completely sold out.

Projectionist Wolfgang makes a final inspection walk at closing time of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

(Reporting by Lisi Niesner, writing by Kirsti Knolle; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Projectionist Wolfgang puts back a DVD into a box in the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Projectionist Wolfgang demonstrates an analogue film projector in the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Cinema owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, speaks on the phone in her office at Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, chats with projectionist Wolfgang as they wait for visitors at the cash desk of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Projectionist Wolfgang looks through a window into the cinema hall at the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Visitors are seen in the cinema hall through a window from the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

An admission ticket for a movie of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Cinema owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, makes her way home from Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Filmgoer Axel Walde leaves the cinema after a movie showing at Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Cinema owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, uses a pen to point to the number of visitors written onto the monthly movie programme of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Filmgoer Axel Walde watches a movie at Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Projectionist Wolfgang leaves the screening room of Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 18, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Cinema owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, leaves the cinema after the movie showing was canceled at Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Cinema owner Anna Nitsch-Fitz, 80, poses for a portrait in her office at Breitenseer Lichtspiele cinema in Vienna, Austria, November 8, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner