AutoMat invites you to MĚSTEM show: 4 films about urbanism and communities

Three autumn evenings, three places, four films about communities and urban planning, two thematic debates. The AutoMat association invites you to the 5th year of the MĚSTEM film festival, which will present unique foreign films selected only for this occasion. Already on Wednesday, October 9, the Petrohradská Cinema will host a screening of the Argentinian documentary A Concrete Cinema about a bricklayer who built a cinema for his neighbors with his help. As a prelude, we will present the American film The Place Man. Screenings of other films and accompanying discussions are planned for October 22nd at the Atlas cinema and November 11th at the Goethe Institute.

“Last year, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the AutoMat association, we focused the CITY show purely on the issue of bicycle transport, this year we will focus on the topic of building, connecting and the life of urban communities,” says Michal Kalina, head of the Laboratory of Sustainable Urbanism of the AutoMat association.

The heroes of both films of the first festival evening on October 9 at the Petrohradská Cinema are men who have dedicated their entire lives to their passion for community and quality public space. “MĚSTEM festival brings together topics that are essential for the AutoMat association. An active community needs a space in which to meet. A public space is best,” adds Michal Kalina. “We have once again prepared a selection of unique films that have their premieres in the Czech Republic for the audience, and we have supplemented the festival with discussions on the topic of communities, culture and public space,” adds Mariia Khositashvili from AutoMat, the show’s dramaturg and producer.

The next screening is the Italian documentary Giardinieri d’Assalto (Guerrilla Gardeners) on Tuesday, October 22 from 7:15 p.m. at the Atlas cinema. It will present a group of enthusiasts cultivating the space around them with the help of seeds and seedlings. After the screening, there will also be a debate on the topic with Jana Komrsková (Deputy Mayor of Prague responsible for the environment and climate plan), Šimon Fiala (Friends of Nuselské schodů) and Laura Kopecká (TSK). Táňa Zabloudilová will moderate.

This year’s MĚSTEM show will end on November 11 at 7 p.m. at the Goethe Institute with a screening of the German film Varieté Utopolis – or a few feet of highway. The film goes on a journey through 16 socially excluded neighborhoods in Germany and shows projects that respond to the problems there with the help of art and culture. Music, theatre, involvement of people in processes and intercultural dialogues serve as a way to bring people together. Creativity, play and collaborative planning are meant to help create strong communities. Here, too, a discussion about the importance of culture and communities will follow.

All the films that the autumn show MĚSTEM will offer this year are presented in their original version with Czech subtitles. More information and registration for individual screenings can be found on Automat’s website.

We are looking forward to meet you.

The project was financially supported by the City Hall of the Capital City of Prague.

Video MĚSTEM 2024

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