Ticketed seats in gloomy theatres, with a somewhat hallowed feel to it all; that is the traditional domain of film screenings. It is however possible for cinema to escape the dimly lit theatres and take to the road in search of audiences who are reluctant to be shut indoor.
That is the idea of a group from Hamburg who have been travelling the roads of Europe for several years now, with an astonishing programme of short films they exhibit in highly unusual places. The first step is to find the best walls in the cities. Then, depending on available space, they choose the film from their extensive catalogue most suited to the location.
And that is how they go about their business in the streets, equipped with a mobile projector and portable speakers, accompanied by passersby who attend the improvised screenings wide-eyed and expectant. Audiences not normally associated with festivals are in many cases introduced to short films from other countries for the first time; original, entertaining and experimental pieces of work. But there is no time to lose. When the screening is over on one wall, this guerrilla film team is soon up and running, on the lookout for its next wall, which could be a ruin, a façade, or just any ordinary wall. Audiences, delighted with the idea, follow on behind to the next location on a trip round the centre of the city.
Alcalá is therefore set to be turned into numerous open air cinemas; its streets transformed into something more than mere routes from A to B.
8 and 9th of November, 19:00Hr
Calle Mayor, corner of Calle San Felipe Neri
More info: A Wall is a Screen
