Secret Cinema
Hi All,
Three weekends ago we headed off to Secret Cinema (again), which is an event in London where they show a classic movie, but also set up the surroundings for that film (be it tunnels, warehouses, markets etc) to mimic the movie's period/setting. Being a secret, you don't know what you are going to see (but the movies are always classics), and you only get clues on what to wear by email a couple of weeks before.
The movie this time was Battle for Algiers, which was made in 1966 and was about the revolution spawned while the Arabs were living under the harsh rules of the French - quite apt for these times. The movie highlights that they actions of a few can be enough to mobilise a whole population, and cause revolution.
Upon arriving at the secret destination, we were greeted by armed guards, barbed wire, checks on our papers and propaganda blaring over speakers - all very intimidating. We had to keep our papers with us at all times, and depending on how you answered some questions, you were placed into one of three groups. Group A was French, B was Arab, and C was either - which meant whoever 'got' to you first, falsified your papers to either be A or B (we only found all this out once inside).
Inside the location (which was in the tunnels underground around Waterloo station) they had made a couple of different areas, separated by barbed wire - a French quarter and an Arab quarter. The French quarter had cafes and the bars, while the Arab quarter was more closed, like a Medina, with small houses, passageways, shops etc, and some street food. There were also some dodgy bits like a jail where people were being interrogated in the back of the French quarter, but you had to go search for them.
There was smoke in the air, armed guards, fences, wire etc, so it was really moody. The actors/actresses were amazing as locals moving around the souk, or upper-class french lounging in the bars, or guards walking around terrifying people - AND they were speaking either French or Arab (only), to further disorientate people. Fortunately Lany understood things so it helped a lot as she filled in some details on the stuff going on - if you knew the film though, you'd have enough to go on.
As we explored, each side would either love you or hate you depending on your papers. In the Arab section, I wasn't allowed in any house, and got yelled at (in Arabic) for taking pictures. My friend (CK) on the other hand was a 'C', so the Arabs took him in their house immediately, changed him to 'B' and gave him a mission - he had to take a parcel to another house at a set time. Lany and I went to the Air France office and, as we were 'A's, we thanked for being 'on the right side', and were given a little piece of paper detailing a mission to search out a wedding in the Arab quarter and alert the guards (at those times, the Arab weddings had to happen in secret). The girl in front of us in the Air France line was originally been a 'C' (nothing), who got changed to a 'B', so when the Air France woman checked her papers, she walked out and got a guard, who came and took the woman away! (her boyfriend just stood there looking stunned :P). That was our introduction to the 'game' side of the evening, so we headed out.
Over the course of the few hours heaps of things happened:
- CK got 2 missions to take parcels around, and disappeared a few times to meet people
- CK got searched more than once, and while in one of the houses it got raided and he was kicked out
- Lany accidentally showed an Arab woman the message we'd been given. When asked about it, Lany handed it to me and ran across the barrier-line (Arabs couldn't go into French bit, but I think French could go into Arab bit, they just didn't do a lot). The Arab woman then tried to get it off me, but instead grabbed my papers and ripped them up.
- Lany grabbed on of the French guards and identified CK as a spy, but the guard didn't get him because he'd already offloaded his parcel
- We followed an Arab woman around in wedding gear, looking for the wedding
- A shopkeeper (in his shop) got searched, and started screaming at us all to get out when the guards started asking about a briefcase - we were just in the shop at the lucky time to see this - in the movie, that shopkeeper character makes some bombs.
- CK had his papers ripped up too, and had to get another identity.
- We found the wedding, but it was already reported and the guards rushed in an kicked everyone out.
- oh, we got food - yummy kebab thing.
- and on top of all this, they had demonstrations in the Arab quarter, speeches, music, a reenactment of memorable scene from the movie involving the sneaking of bombs out of the quarter, and a subsequent bomb blast in the middle of a speech being given by the French general....
SUPER FUN!
After the bomb, they told us to run into the 'mosque', which is where they showed the movie. Loved this wooden frame thing with the light coming through at the back of the room....
When we came out of the film (which ends with the final guy getting blown up), the scenery had been changed with large bit of debris placed around, houses (which were formerly pieced together wooden frames) broken down into smaller triangles/shapes, and rubble/grit all on the floor - it was like they'd blown up whole place - really really cool way to finish.
The only bummer was right at the end of the film, the DVD packed it in (apparently the air was too moist in the tunnels and broke it), but really we'd seen everything and the movie was basically over, so I wasn't worried. The silver lining is that because of it dying, we get free tickets to the next Secret Cinema - score!
Overall, loved the whole thing, and can't wait for the next one.
So moving on from there, a quick summary of the last two weekends:
- I've had my bro down from Manchest and my aunt from Aus in town, so we did Sunday lunch (that next weekend),
- Lany went to Paris for training and then saw her sister that following weekend (returning for Sunday lunch),
- I caught up with an old friend from Aus who is back in town while travelling,
- Lany and I saw a Freerunning show at the Udderbelly festival (giant cow tent!) and
- this weekend just gone, Lany and I checked out the Sony World Photography Awards -> really amazing, see the if they come to Aus... (or wherever you can)
It's all been pretty busy, and June is not going to be quiet either... YAY!
Anka
Three weekends ago we headed off to Secret Cinema (again), which is an event in London where they show a classic movie, but also set up the surroundings for that film (be it tunnels, warehouses, markets etc) to mimic the movie's period/setting. Being a secret, you don't know what you are going to see (but the movies are always classics), and you only get clues on what to wear by email a couple of weeks before.
The movie this time was Battle for Algiers, which was made in 1966 and was about the revolution spawned while the Arabs were living under the harsh rules of the French - quite apt for these times. The movie highlights that they actions of a few can be enough to mobilise a whole population, and cause revolution.
Upon arriving at the secret destination, we were greeted by armed guards, barbed wire, checks on our papers and propaganda blaring over speakers - all very intimidating. We had to keep our papers with us at all times, and depending on how you answered some questions, you were placed into one of three groups. Group A was French, B was Arab, and C was either - which meant whoever 'got' to you first, falsified your papers to either be A or B (we only found all this out once inside).
Inside the location (which was in the tunnels underground around Waterloo station) they had made a couple of different areas, separated by barbed wire - a French quarter and an Arab quarter. The French quarter had cafes and the bars, while the Arab quarter was more closed, like a Medina, with small houses, passageways, shops etc, and some street food. There were also some dodgy bits like a jail where people were being interrogated in the back of the French quarter, but you had to go search for them.
There was smoke in the air, armed guards, fences, wire etc, so it was really moody. The actors/actresses were amazing as locals moving around the souk, or upper-class french lounging in the bars, or guards walking around terrifying people - AND they were speaking either French or Arab (only), to further disorientate people. Fortunately Lany understood things so it helped a lot as she filled in some details on the stuff going on - if you knew the film though, you'd have enough to go on.
As we explored, each side would either love you or hate you depending on your papers. In the Arab section, I wasn't allowed in any house, and got yelled at (in Arabic) for taking pictures. My friend (CK) on the other hand was a 'C', so the Arabs took him in their house immediately, changed him to 'B' and gave him a mission - he had to take a parcel to another house at a set time. Lany and I went to the Air France office and, as we were 'A's, we thanked for being 'on the right side', and were given a little piece of paper detailing a mission to search out a wedding in the Arab quarter and alert the guards (at those times, the Arab weddings had to happen in secret). The girl in front of us in the Air France line was originally been a 'C' (nothing), who got changed to a 'B', so when the Air France woman checked her papers, she walked out and got a guard, who came and took the woman away! (her boyfriend just stood there looking stunned :P). That was our introduction to the 'game' side of the evening, so we headed out.
Over the course of the few hours heaps of things happened:
- CK got 2 missions to take parcels around, and disappeared a few times to meet people
- CK got searched more than once, and while in one of the houses it got raided and he was kicked out
- Lany accidentally showed an Arab woman the message we'd been given. When asked about it, Lany handed it to me and ran across the barrier-line (Arabs couldn't go into French bit, but I think French could go into Arab bit, they just didn't do a lot). The Arab woman then tried to get it off me, but instead grabbed my papers and ripped them up.
- Lany grabbed on of the French guards and identified CK as a spy, but the guard didn't get him because he'd already offloaded his parcel
- We followed an Arab woman around in wedding gear, looking for the wedding
- A shopkeeper (in his shop) got searched, and started screaming at us all to get out when the guards started asking about a briefcase - we were just in the shop at the lucky time to see this - in the movie, that shopkeeper character makes some bombs.
- CK had his papers ripped up too, and had to get another identity.
- We found the wedding, but it was already reported and the guards rushed in an kicked everyone out.
- oh, we got food - yummy kebab thing.
- and on top of all this, they had demonstrations in the Arab quarter, speeches, music, a reenactment of memorable scene from the movie involving the sneaking of bombs out of the quarter, and a subsequent bomb blast in the middle of a speech being given by the French general....
SUPER FUN!
After the bomb, they told us to run into the 'mosque', which is where they showed the movie. Loved this wooden frame thing with the light coming through at the back of the room....
When we came out of the film (which ends with the final guy getting blown up), the scenery had been changed with large bit of debris placed around, houses (which were formerly pieced together wooden frames) broken down into smaller triangles/shapes, and rubble/grit all on the floor - it was like they'd blown up whole place - really really cool way to finish.
The only bummer was right at the end of the film, the DVD packed it in (apparently the air was too moist in the tunnels and broke it), but really we'd seen everything and the movie was basically over, so I wasn't worried. The silver lining is that because of it dying, we get free tickets to the next Secret Cinema - score!
Overall, loved the whole thing, and can't wait for the next one.
So moving on from there, a quick summary of the last two weekends:
- I've had my bro down from Manchest and my aunt from Aus in town, so we did Sunday lunch (that next weekend),
- Lany went to Paris for training and then saw her sister that following weekend (returning for Sunday lunch),
- I caught up with an old friend from Aus who is back in town while travelling,
- Lany and I saw a Freerunning show at the Udderbelly festival (giant cow tent!) and
- this weekend just gone, Lany and I checked out the Sony World Photography Awards -> really amazing, see the if they come to Aus... (or wherever you can)
It's all been pretty busy, and June is not going to be quiet either... YAY!
Anka
posted by Anthony Hawke at 3:31 pm
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