Summer Art-kino, Good Book and H-8… - News | Art-kino Croatia

Since film and socialising are an inseparable Art-kino combination, opening of Summer Art-kino in the courtyard of the Capuchin Monastery on 1 June at 20:00 brings the presentation of the new book by Rijeka publicist Velid Đekić It Is Important Not to Fear the Evening Train (Važno je ne plašiti se večernjeg vlaka) published by Art-kino as part of the Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture programme.

This spring Art-kino published a book which Đekić dedicated to the specific dimension of the cinema venue in which Art-kino operates today.  The book is about propaganda component of the local cinematic life, that was sometimes more than naked, and that extends more or less to the entire history of the venue, and partly to the history of other city cinemas. Such a propaganda screening policy of the cinema, as expected, kept pace with the turbulent changes in social and political everyday life in Rijeka during the 20th century.

In the end, the book does not fail to note today's departure of Art-kino from yesterday's propaganda practices, which is even more important if we know that Art-kino is the only remaining city cinema in Rijeka.

Based on an insight into the film repertoire of the venue, regularly published in the local press during the reign of several countries in Rijeka, the book brings a well-rounded and vivid view on the connection between Rijeka cinematic scene and social and political reality of past. The position of ordinary citizens, for whom the film was truly a favourite pastime, has by no means been forgotten.

The book presentation guests, along with the author, are film critic Dragan Rubeša and Croatist Saša Stanić. The discussion is followed by a screening of the cult Croatian film H-8 directed by Nikola Tanhofer, which had its Rijeka premiere in the venue of Art-kino, then called Cinema Beograd. The winner of the Big Golden Arena for Best Film in Pula in 1958 is based on a true story of a fatal accident caused by an unknown car driver in 1957. The film is screened in collaboration with the Croatian Film Archive (Croatian State Archives) and Jadran film.

 Admission to the Summer Art-kino opening programme is free for all visitors with prior reservation. Tickets can be reserved by email (ulaznice@art-kino.org) or at the Art-kino box office which opens every day an hour before the start of the first screening