Credit: Lynn Theisen/Cinémathèque
On Friday 2 August 2024, the Cinémathèque de la Ville de Luxembourg announced that Thursday 1 August marked the closing of the 2024 its open-air cinema season.
This year, a new record was reached in terms of attendance, with almost 10,000 spectators welcomed over an eight-day period.
The attendance figures of the previous year of the open air cinema programme were surpassed from the sixth evening, despite two rainy evenings where the audience remained “enthusiastic”, the Cinémathèque noted. For the Cinémathèque, this success "testifies to the growing interest for open-air cinema in Luxembourg and the unique appeal of this programme".
On some evenings, film-goers extended their experience beyond the intended space, bringing their camping chairs, picnic blankets and setting up on the steps of the town hall and the terraces of nearby restaurants.
From Challengers to Barbie, Casablanca and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, the 2024 season offered a varied selection of films. Guests were also able to watch My Neighbor Totoro, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Mission: Impossible. The closing of this season was marked by a special event: an outdoor cine-concert highlighting three silent films, accompanied by live musicians. The films of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were enriched by live musical performances by Hughes Maréchal (piano), Sébastien Walnier (cello) and Ronald Van Spaendonck (clarinet).
The “Life of the Party” summer programme is set to continue from August to mid-September at the Cinémathèque in Place du Théâtre with an eclectic selection of films celebrating the “art of partying”. For each screening, a cinematic journey through various types of celebrations is offered, from weddings to balls to carnivals and more. With famous titles such as Marie Antoinette, Dirty Dancing, Druk: Another Round, Il Casanova di Fellini and Babylon, this programme is designed to offer an varied cinematic experience.
On Friday 9 August 2023, a ciné-concert is scheduled on the 1928 Danish film The Joker. In collaboration with the Danish Film Institute, a restored copy of the film will be screened, accompanied live on the piano by Hughes Maréchal.
On Friday 30 August 2024, the Cinémathèque will organise a screening of the Luxembourgish film En dag am Fräien (A Day in the Open) with an introduction by director Govinda Van Maele. The evening will continue with the screening of Partie de Campagne by Jean Renoir.
Futhermore, on Thursday 5 September, a screening is planned of two Slovakian films from 1966: A Report on the Party and Guests by Jan Němec (in collaboration with the NFA Czech Film Archive) and Daisies by Věra Chytilová.
Screenings take place from Tuesday to Saturday at 19:00.
