In our mind’s eye films are inextricably linked to the comforts of movie theatres. This ingrained coupling is however being broken by the latest trends in screenings, which are bypassing the theatres and demonstrating the possibilities of screening short films in alternative spaces. The activists of the group ‘A wall is a screen’, equipped with projector, generator and sound system, are able to turn the walls of any city into an improvised refuge for cinema.
They have taken their cue from the situationists of the 50s, who wanted to turn the city into a space for love and adventure. The intention of the members of this initiative is to break the daily routine and transform the uniform grey concrete of walls into urban windows open to creativity that regale us with new stories.
The ‘A wall is a screen’ group has been traveling around Europe for five years with this innovative project. It is in Spain for the first time and is now collaborating with ALCINE38 to turn corners of the city into free movie theatres that add a new dimension to the habitual and monotonous paths we walk each day.
Madrid and Alcalá de Henares
The idea of the Alcalá de Henares/ Comunidad de Madrid Film Festival is to bring ‘A wall is a screen’ to the streets of the center of Madrid and Alcalá de Henares. The initiative will make its debut in the Capital on Wednesday the 5th of November. The meeting point has been set up in the Plaza de Lavapiés, in front of the Valle-Inclán Theatre at 20:30. From there, screenings will be taken to the streets of Argumosa, Salitre, Primavera, Lavapiés, Mesón de Paredes and back to the Plaza de Lavapiés.
A few days later, on the Saturday the 8th of November, the activists of ‘A wall is a screen’ will disembark in Alcalá. The meeting point will be the Calle Mayor, 1 (next to the Plaza de Cervantes). And the route will take us along the Streets of Cervantes, Cerrajeros, Plaza de los Irlandeses, Esteban Azaña and Mayor.
If you want to take part, you can join us at any point on the route. The screenings are free to anyone.
