A combination of film night and city tour awaits the participants when they walk together through Braunschweig's city center on October 21 and stop at suitable house walls, which will be turned into screens for short film screenings in no time. At each location, a short film will be projected onto a house wall, with the location and the film becoming interconnected. This is because each short film is specially selected for the corresponding house wall. This unique concept has been implemented by the artist collective A WALL IS A SCREEN since 2003, and it transforms city centers into a very special, transforming cinema hall. "We are very excited about this innovative format and hope for an interesting - and hopefully accompanied by good weather - film evening," emphasizes the main sponsor of the Braunschweig International Film Festival, Volkswagen Financial Services.
The original idea stemmed from the observed transformation of German city centers from vibrant centers of everyday life to increasingly commercial and bustling places of commerce. The artists noticed how the city centers emptied out after closing time and fell into a veritable silence. This "pause" in the pulsating life of the inner city is to be filled by the concept of the short film walk. "On the one hand, we are concerned with inspiring people with film art and showing what short film can be all about. On the other hand, together with the people, we want to reconquer the city and the public space a little bit and make it experienceable," Peter Haueis from A WALL IS A SCREEN explains the motivation of the artist collective.
An urban experience from completely new perspectives
After a short film has been shown on a house wall, the technology is quickly dismantled in order to move on to the next screen. In the process, the people of Braunschweig are presented with places in their city that they may never have seen before. The film harmonizes with its surroundings, and the surroundings themselves become part of the film. It is as if the environment suddenly takes an active part in the film, random passers-by become unexpected film actors. "Cinema as a performative moment" - that's how Haueis describes this phenomenon and promises the people of Braunschweig a completely new way of looking at their own city: "We hope that we can offer new angles and perspectives on the city, because that's certainly how few people have experienced Braunschweig."
With 20 years of experience, the artistic group has perfected its procedures and is intimately familiar with all the technical and organizational challenges: "Our equipment is very flexible and handy. The loudspeakers are shouldered by helpers, the projector is carried in front of the stomach - a tripod in the hand, the hand truck with a small generator for the electricity is saddled and off we go," Haueis outlines the typical sequence of an evening. "We've learned to set it up and take it down in a flash. To make it work, we do a picture rehearsal every time the night before the event and test the projection screens with our film selection. We also walk the route and also think about how to properly spin the thread in the dramaturgy of the tour from wall to wall." The most important thing, he says, is to surprise the audience - whether in terms of the locations chosen or in terms of the film selection for the locations.
Discovery tour with a cozy finale
On October 21, the audience will gather at the Ringerbrunnen at 7 p.m. as darkness falls. Under the motto "Mobility and Urban Development", the artist collective will go on a discovery tour through Braunschweig together with the audience. At the end of the evening, the group heads for the garden of the Kunstverein in the house "Salve Hospes", where there will still be a cozy get-together. There is no limit to the number of participants, admission is free and the urban film tour will take place even in bad weather. In case of rain, Volkswagen Financial Service will provide rain capes for all participants.
Excitement is building for the 37th Braunschweig International Film Festival
The collaboration with A WALL IS A SCREEN comes in the middle of the hot preparation phase for the 37th Braunschweig International Film Festival. "The 37th Braunschweig International Film Festival is getting closer and closer, and we can't wait to see it kick off. With our special events in collaboration with such great partners, we want to increase the excitement in the waiting period and get our audience in the mood for the upcoming, unforgettable cinema moments. A WALL IS A SCREEN stages the film experience in a unique and remarkable way, which is why we are especially looking forward to this evening," says co-festival director Anke Hagenbüchner-Sobiech, looking forward with anticipation to the upcoming, urban film night.
Finally, on November 6, the Braunschweig International Film Festival will kick off with the opening film concert for Michael Dudok de Wit's THE RED SHIELD. For the first time, the music by Laurent Perez Del Mar, awarded by the "International Film Music Critics Association", will be performed live to the film, accompanied by the Braunschweig State Orchestra. Afterwards, festival visitors can look forward to a week-long film festival with highlights from all genres as well as a rich supporting program.
SPECIFICATIONS
A WALL IS A SCREEN
Saturday, 21.10.2023, Start: 19:00, free admission
Meeting point: Ringerbrunnen, Schuhstraße 3, 38100 Braunschweig, Germany
info@awallisascreen.com | +49 40 76488907
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