/ Reviews
Thursday Night Films
by Tom Lee
on Friday, July 24, 2009 12:00 AM
When the Thursday-night lights go down at Vienna Café, it‘s time for the feature movie presentation. You might be about to watch an Oscar-nominated foreign-language film, or a documentary on the changing fortunes of an old Chinese building - but you can guarantee it will be something out of the ordinary.
"I like small cinema," says organizer Xing Zhao. "I wanted to bring films that people can't normally find in China." Looking at what is actually available in Shanghai, it's an attractive niche to fill. Large cinemas showing un-dubbed films generally focus on mega-budget blockbusters, not art house and indie flicks.
Film night at Vienna Café isn't just about left-field films, however. A strong community atmosphere is encouraged and anyone attending can recommend a film for future presentations, or even stage art performances, ranging from poetry readings to small jam sessions.
The small venue is cozily ‘art house,' and reservations are recommended. At 7:30pm, a screen is rolled down one of the walls and coffee-sipping patrons adjust their chairs to get a better view. Candlelight flickers off the wood-paneled walls and occasionally a gentle whisper ricochets through the audience. Rather than distracting attention from the film, the intermittent, hushed conversations lend a homely, informal feel to the evening.
Previous films shown here have ranged from the Oscar-nominated ‘Milk' and ‘Little Miss Sunshine', to Bollywood-brand musicals like ‘Devdas', as well as documentaries on life in China, such as Three Gorges documentary ‘Sanxia Haoren'. Now that the Thursday film night has become an established attraction, Xing hopes the Vienna Café can broaden its portfolio of artistic offerings, by introducing book readings and small-scale theatre into the repertoire. The ultimate aim is to make it a commune for the bohemian artistry of Shanghai: our very own Café Momus, if you like.
The Bottom Line: A cute little café evening with films that steer clear of the mainstream.
