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THROUGH THE CITY. Autumn screening of films about transport, urban planning and communities

3 autumn evenings ~ 4 foreign productions ~ 4 documentaries about the city, transport and communities

Since 2019, the film show Through the City has been organized by the AutoMat association. This year we will focus on the topic of communities in the city – films and two subsequent debates on the topic. (to be specified)

→Registration to each projection← 

Program
9/10/2024 | Cinema Petrohradská | 19:00
forefilm: The Place Man
19 min., USA 2023, director: Guillermo Bernal, in the original version with Czech subtitles

The film explores the roots of American placemaking. He takes us on a journey through the life of Fred Kent, which begins in New York during the urban crisis of the 60s and 70s. At this time, he founded a street academy and devoted himself to environmental issues. In 1970, he coordinated the first Earth Day in New York. Fred was part of a group of people who researched the problems of larger cities during what he calls the golden age of public space research. The film follows Fred’s journey with the Public Space Project. Fred’s philosophy is simple: public spaces should be designed for people, open, inclusive and full of life. Examples are the transformations of Bryant Park in New York and Campus Martius in downtown Detroit.

feature film: A Concrete Cinema
78 min., Argentina, 2017, director: Luz Ruciello, in the original version with Czech subtitles

Why does a poor and sick bricklayer from a small Argentinian town go on a Quixote-like adventure and build a movie theater on the roof of his own house without help and by himself?

22/10/2024 | Atlas Cinema |7:15 p.m
Giardinieri d’Assalto (Guerrilla Gardeners)
76 min., Italy, 2022, director: Angelo Camba, in the original version with Czech subtitles

Some people in Italy decided not to wait for change and took matters into their own hands. They became green “partisans”. Without a permit, they clean up and beautify neglected parts of cities that the authorities ignore. They found inspiration in the non-violent Guerrilla Gardening movement that originated in New York in the 1970s. The “partisans” include groups such as Fante di Fiori and Piante Volanti, as well as organizations such as Friarielli Ribelli, Giardiniere Sovversive Romane, Terra di Nettuno or Ammazza che Piazza. These people have already fought many battles in which they used plants and flowers as their only possible weapons. New urban heroes, connected in a national network, show us that planting a seed is one of the greatest revolutionary acts these days.

Debate after the film

guests: Šimon Fiala (Friends of the Nuselské stairs), Laura Kopecká (TSK), Jana Komrsková (deputy mayor of the capital city of Prague responsible for the environment and climate plan)

moderated by: Táňa Zabloudilová

Entry fee: 129 CZK

11/11/2024 | Goethe Institute 19:00
Varieté Utopolis – or a few feet of highway
98 min., Germany, 2024, director: Matthias Coers, in the original version with Czech subtitles

Although the sun shines over the squares, many of them remain in the shade. Here is the harsh reality – uncertainty in life and the economy. There is a lack of urban development that would really help people. 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, theater, people’s involvement 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. The question remains how to maintain it all and if it is even possible. What impact can state-supported arts and culture have in cities with high rents and disappearing public infrastructure? Can art and culture be a lifeline in crisis areas?