Foyer Conversations, a new podcast series from Cinema of Commoning, aims to capture the spirit of those probing, freewheeling and inspiring discussions we have immediately before and after a film screening.

Cinemas, especially those with long, complex histories, can become potent vessels for collective memory within the communities in which they operate. However, shifting geo-politics, unstable economic circumstances and the threat of gentrification mean that independent cinemas often also operate under a constant threat of demolition, as architecture becomes an instrument of ideology.

In Cinema, Memory and Demolition, we examine the stories of two cinemas which, when threatened with demolition, became the site of public protest and resistance amongst the local community.

As the case studies of Emek Movie Theatre and Kino Lumbardhi suggest, the struggle to save a cinema can serve as a symbol for a wider struggle - a fight for representation, for heritage, for history. For this episode we wanted to bring together these two cinemas with first hand experience of this kind of collective struggle, alongside Natalia Kvitkova, an academic, who researches the role of architecture in community creation and erasure.

Our conversation explored the collision between cultural heritage and capitalist values, and also touched upon the aftermath of both successful and unsuccessful attempts to save a much loved cinema from demolition.

Natália Kvítková was born in Piešťany, SK and fled with her parents to Canada as political refugees shortly before the Velvet Revolution. She is an independent researcher and writer, working at the intersection of urban sociology, cultural history and post-war architecture. She currently holds the position of xxx at KU Leuven in Belgium.

Fırat Yücel is a member of Emek Bizim İstanbul Bizim (Emek is Ours, Istanbul is Ours), an initiative which was formed in 2009 to demonstrate against the demolition of the Emek Movie Theater in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Video and sound recordings of the demonstrations, organized by activists involved in the resistance movement were turned into the documentary Audience Emancipated: The Struggle for the Emek Movie Theater (2016). Even though the cinema was demolished in 2017, the group have continued to raise public awareness about the demolition demolish, most prominently through their online platform, emeksinemasi.blogspot.com.

Ares Shporta is a cultural worker, producer and researcher situated between Kosovo and Albania. Since 2015, as co-founder and director of Lumbardhi Foundation, he has been leading the institutional transformation of Prizren’s iconic Kino Lumbardhi, a cinema and arts space located in the historic center of Prizren, Kosovo. Established in 1952, the cinema was saved from demolition and privatization after two civil initiatives in 2007 and 2014, and is now run by the Lumbardhi Foundation.

Foyer Conversations is a podcast series from Cinema of Commoning.

Episode Five was initiated by Gülsen Namıduru.

It was presented and produced by Eirini Fountedaki, Gülsen Namıduru and Rachel Pronger.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Foyer Conversations, a podcast series from Cinema of Commoning, aims to capture the spirit of those probing, freewheeling and inspiring discussions we have immediately before and after a film screening.

The word ‘transnational’ represents what flows across national borders. Oftentimes, cultural activists become smugglers of shared experiences and solidarity around the globe. When bodies and physical items are unable to move from one nation to another, ideas and information can flow in their place. A social cinema can host transnational exchanges to reveal the importance of relating to others beyond the borders of one’s home.

In our fourth episode, Foyer Conversations: Transnational Solidarity, we have gathered together curators and collectives who are seeking to explore transnational solidarity in their work. This conversation offers an insight into their practices and touches upon the ways in which cinemas and programs of artistic exchange can serve as a tool for building solidarity between different global political movements.

For this conversation we are joined by Nataša Prljević from Hekler Collective, independent curator and writer Nasrin Hamada, and Svetla Turnin and Ezra Winton from Cinema Politica.

Nataša Prljević is an artist, cultural worker and organizer committed to social inquiry, ecologies of conflict and transnational feminist solidarities. Using collage and assemblage principles, Prljević focuses on a transformative potential of polyvocality that arises through a range of modalities, media, and community. She writes, makes collages, videos, installations, and facilitates social and educational environments. In 2018, together with Joshua Nierodzinski and Jelena Prljević she initiated HEKLER, a transnational collaborative platform and community that fosters experimental examination of hospitality and conflict. Nataša currently lives and works between Mexico City (Mexico) and Užice (Serbia) where she is from.

Nasrin Himada is a Palestinian curator and writer. Their practice is heavily influenced by their long-term friendships and by their on-going collaborations with artists, filmmakers and poets. Nasrin’s recent project, For Many Returns, experiments typifies their current curatorial interests, which foreground desire, transformation, and liberation through many forms. Nasrin currently holds the position of Associate Curator at Agnes Etherington Art Centre, Queen’s University in Kingston.

Cinema Politica is non-profit media arts organization dedicated to supporting the work of independent, political filmmakers in Canada and beyond. The organization is made up of an alternative exhibition network, dedicated distribution arm, and a Video On Demand platform for cutting edge, socially engaged cinema.

Foyer Conversations is a podcast series from Cinema of Commoning.

Episode Four was initiated by Abisola Oni..

It was presented and produced by Eirini Fountedaki, Abisola Oni and Rachel Pronger.

Artwork/photography credits:

Nasrin Hamada Headshot. Photo credit: Clea Christakos.

Nataša Prljević Headshot. Photo credit: Joshua Nierodzinski.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Foyer Conversations, a podcast series from Cinema of Commoning, aims to capture the spirit of those probing, freewheeling and inspiring discussions we have immediately before and after a film screening.

The rise of streaming platforms creates an illusion of limitless content, but the reality is that most digital distributors offer access to only a very narrow selection of films. Certain kinds of cinema - especially historical work and films made outside of western commercial channels - remain underrepresented online, while a few large, profit orientated streaming giants dominate the digital space.

In our third episode, Foyer Conversations: Alternative Digital Distribution we speak to representatives from three streaming platforms, each of which is transforming the digital space by offering access to thoughtfully curated, sustainably sourced and geographically diverse films.

For this conversation we are joined by Róisín Tapponi (Shasha Movies),Rehana Esmail (Cinelogue), Jota Salazar (Cholo Plus).

Founded in 2020 by Róisín Tapponi, Shasha Movies is the independent streaming service for South-West Asian and North African (SWANA) cinema. They aim to formalize the space for artist film in and around the region, and present a carefully-curated selection of exclusive films to a global audience. Shasha Movies was owned and operated completely independently, by a small team of women from SWANA. All films are available in their original language with English subtitles. Films are available to watch by all, anywhere in the world.

Cinelogue provides a collaborative space for film curation, global streaming, and critical dialogue around cinema, and politics by presenting cinema by the Global Majority (people from formerly and currently colonized geographies, who make up over 80% of the world’s population). They are committed to showcasing critical and compelling independent cinema from countries and communities within Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.

Cholo Plus is an online streaming service based in Ecuador, which provides access to Ecuadorian cinema to viewers across the country. Founded and run by Jota Salazar, the platform has a particular focus on independent locally made films and smaller releases which otherwise would not be available to audiences in the region.

Foyer Conversations is a podcast series from Cinema of Commoning.

Episode Three was initiated and presented by Eirini Fountedaki and Rachel Pronger.

It was produced by Eirini Fountedaki, Gülsen Namıduru and Rachel Pronger.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.