04.01.2012 / Arts & Culture
Secret Cinema
Suppose you received a mysterious invitation to the cinema complete with place and time, but without having a clue about which movie you’re going to watch. This is more or less the idea behind Secret Cinema, a London-based event for cinephiles created by Fabien Riggall back in 2007 which recently expanded to other cities as well (New York City and even Kabul!).
Fabiens’s aim is that of recreating the primitive magic of cinema, enriching the experience with a good deal of mystery and discovery. Here’s how he manages to do that: first of all, the screening’s location is unveiled at the last minute through cryptic emails and social networks.
As the event’s date approaches, the suspence grows and creates some sort of story around the plot and the characters of the mysterious movie. Once the audience reaches the chosen location, they receive some scattered clues through the staging and the acting, musical or dancing performances preceding the screening and building a thematic frame around the film.
Because the timeless charm of cinema lies right there: in the eyes of a child stepping into a movie theatre for the very first time without knowing what to expect, and getting the feeling of being dragged inside that big screen – inside the huge mystery of filmic fiction.
If you’d like to know the dates and locations of the next Secret Cinema events, check out their website or join the community.
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