Little did Nathalie Modigliani, Mireia Manén and Guillem Galeria imagine 20 years ago that their idea of organizing outdoor movie screenings would end up becoming one of the essential summer events in the Catalan capital. The classics and new films chosen by the Sala Montjuïc have convinced its attendees to climb the Montjuïc mountain, an excursion little appreciated by the people of Barcelona. And, furthermore, they have done so despite the temperatures of July and August and the typically local swelter. Neither more nor less, they have already seduced almost 515,000 viewers since 2003.
Everything arose with the ambition of offering a Barcelona version of the open-air cinema that takes place in La Villette park in Paris. Lawn and deckchairs to have a drink before the movie, with live music, and then immerse yourself in the film plot of each night. There are those who live it as if it were the first time, those who let themselves go and laugh and cry together, less constrained than in the blackness and silence of a movie theater, and there are also those who fall asleep until the applause wakes them up.
Getting a space that would allow all this was not easy. The directors of Sala Montjuïc, three friends with no experience in organizing cultural events, spent two years looking for the ideal location, until they found the Montjuïc Castle moat. The views of the city, the protection of its centuries-old walls, the comfort of the lawn and the large area available ended up convincing them. Both the Barcelona City Council and the Cinemes Verdi helped them close the last fringes of the project. For the first edition, they expected 500 people a day, but the first session, with Ameliehas already mobilized 2,500.
“Like books that take flight or songs that transcend their authors, Sala Montjuïc is no longer that open-air cinema that we once imagined, but rather a cultural activity that many people have made their own, that they experience as something of their own and genuine, which is part of your annual ritual or the memory of your youth. In short, a common place for many Barcelonans. And that, why deceive us, excites us and makes us feel happy”, maintain the organizers. The film-concerts of Charles Chaplin and films such as those of Wes Anderson, Billy Wilder, Lars von Trier, Asghar Farhadi and Agnès Varda are some of those that the three directors of Sala Montjuïc most remember from all these years, in which they have seen 240 films and 153 shorts, in addition to having heard more than 200 concerts.
In the 20th edition, from July 1 to August 5 and without capacity restrictions, it will be the turn of recent titles such as Coda, Belfast, West Side Story the Steven Spielberg, Palm Springs, Licorice Pizza y A hero. This year could not miss Alcarràs by Carla Simón, the new indisputable success of the Barcelonan and her close and delicate way, but without fuss, of telling stories. For those who want to return to the classics, the Sala Montjuïc team asked their followers which films they wanted to see again, yes or yes, and the winners were Pulp Fiction, Grease, Call Me By Your Name, Interstellar, Lost in Translation, wild tales, the big lebowski y with death on his heels. It will only be missing to know the film of the last day, always a surprise. Ticket prices range from 7.50 euros to 10.50 euros, depending on whether you prefer to stretch out on the lawn or opt for a sun lounger. The pandemic canceled the combined ticket that allowed to visit Montjuïc Castle and, for the moment, it has not been recovered.
The program will be completed with previous concerts, among which the Catalan soul trio The Sey Sisters stands out, which will accompany the Quentin Tarantino film, or the Irish folk music band Los Stompers, who will provide a soundtrack to childhood memories by Kenneth Branagh. There will also be Los Carosones, La Kolmena and Yacine Belahcene, among others. Likewise, there will be space for short films, with the screening of the works of fiction that have won the VOC Awards, Elsa by Albert Carbó and Sintra III by Ivan Casajus. There will even be a micro-short contest to celebrate the 20th anniversary. The top three will be screened at the opening session, opening for Uma Thurman, John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.
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