Where cinema and city meet

“There is no cinema without architecture. Cinema emerged because cities and the desire to record their movement, arose their frenzy”, says Liz da Costa Sandoval, Curator of Cinema Urbana – Mostra Internacional de Cinema de Arquitectura. The event, which uses cinema as a tool for understanding urban fantasies and their aftermath, is reaching its third edition, promising to make a reflection in urban space, save memory and foresee the future.

Between August 17 and September 5, Cinema Urbana will offer live, face-to-face and virtual shows, and will include three shows as well as panel discussions and music performances. As Lise points out, the exhibition seeks to address issues related to cities in different aspects and in different contexts. “We try to bring different landscapes. What does Maputo look like and how does it look like Brasilia? There is a very strong relationship between them in terms of modern architecture as a symbol of the period of assertion of national identity,” he says.

The person in charge of organizing the event also reveals that the festival also carries a desire to honor the federal capital, bringing with it a variety of films showing the multiple faces of the square, a very new city and its discussion. “Many films seek to frame Brasilia, during the period in which it was built, for the ideology it embodies and even for the political cause rooted in its history,” says Liz, also highlighting tributes to architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha (Brazil) and Nuno Portas (Portugal), which can also be covered. “The purpose of the event is to present these different landscapes, relationships, ideas, and forces that operate in the spaces we live in daily and provide an opportunity for reflection.

But also the opportunity to get to know, learn, contemplate, and charm other places.”
With free admission, 26 films will be shown over the three weeks, and produced in 14 countries such as Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China and Brazil. In the first days, the sessions will take place in person, in the cinema room and in the garden of CCBB Brasília, and only in the third and final week, films can be viewed in digital format, through the InnSaei.TV platform. “We’ve always had outdoor shows, but in this version we’ll have 3 days of outdoor shows in a very fun setting, with music attractions interspersed with movie sessions,” says Liz Sandoval.

This year’s edition aims to address issues such as urban overcrowding, visual archaeology, gentrification and real estate greed, as well as the importance of the work of talented and sensitive architects and artists. The event program also includes a competitive screening of feature films, with five new titles, and a screening of a short film competition, with eight films. “Art and cinema go far beyond entertainment. We need to tell stories, develop our creative process, and produce new things. And from these creations, innovations arise,” believes Liz.

The jury responsible for nominating the winners of the competitive exhibition will be formed by Catarina Mateos (architect and urban planner, creative director and programmer of the Population Festival – Ecuadorian Film, City and Architecture, member of RIFCA), and Luis Sarmiento (IPHAN Architect and Director of Culture at IAB Nacional) and Julien Peixoto (Visual Artist and Professor of the Audio and Video Course at the IFB Recanto das Emas Campus).

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As the architect points out, the exhibition gallery represents the re-establishment of the art sector which, due to the pandemic, has faced very difficult moments. The pandemic has had a major impact on the cultural sector. In 2020, many public notices, as well as concerts, shows, museums, etc., have been cancelled. This year, the exhibition may take place due to a series of sponsorships, tests and protocols followed by the team and the cultural space,” it develops. Most of the sessions, the organizer notes, will be outdoors, in the CCBB Gardens’ Garden, however, there will also be screenings inside the cinema, with Low public occupancy.

In curator Liz’s assessment, events of this nature have always been essential to a society, especially at a time like today, when it was the promotion of art and culture that “saved” countless people from the ills caused by the health crisis. Brought. “Nothing is more modern than the phrase printed in the street: ARTE SALVA. He concludes that after nearly two years of confinement, restricted social relationships, fear and uncertainty, the event seeks to present art and magic in a safe and free manner.”