Opening Night - City of Cinema
The time had finally come again. Even before the doors of the HfG officially opened for the new semester, the curtain had already risen here in the Salon.
Our Opening Night marked the start of the new KIBS program: City of Cinema
This semester, we’re focusing on metropolises that are more than just backdrops in film. Cities that become protagonists in their own right and shape stories. But before the lights could go out and the projector could start, there was a lot to do. Drinks had to be chilled, posters designed and hung, and, of course, the most important ingredient of a movie night had to be organized: the film.
And it took its sweet time arriving.
The 35-mm reels didn’t reach us until just before the screening. Relief, at least for a moment. But when we checked the print, the next surprise awaited us: the supposed original-language version had been dubbed into German. Not quite what we’d planned. But it quickly became clear: “Playtime” or, as the film was now called, “Tatis herrliche Zeiten"”, works in any version.
Now it was time to turn on the projector and roll the film.
Before we set off with Tati into the modern metropolis, however, the evening first took us to a completely different urban setting. A 1958 newsreel from Karlsruhe transported the packed movie theater back for a few minutes to a Karlsruhe that was both familiar and strange. And even before the main feature had even begun, there was a real highlight: one of our most loyal patrons had filled out her cinephile bonus card completely. Of course, that had to be rewarded. With a little KIBS surprise and a big round of applause from the audience. Then the journey with Tati began.
There was plenty of laughter, drinks, and shared amazement at a film that, decades after its creation, still captivates audiences with its grandiose cinematic city.
A sold-out Blauer Salon, a brief excursion into 1950s Karlsruhe, and a grand journey into Tati’s vision of the modern metropolis: a pretty good start for “City of Cinema”.