In a town where “dressing up” means putting on your least-scuffed Converse and maybe brushing your hair for a change, it’s no small feat to get an entire audience of people to parade around in their vintage finest. Yet Spanish expat Fernanda Parente nearly pulls it off with Kinostalgia, a new film night for lovers of classy films and classier outfits. At the 70th anniversary screening of Casablanca in November, a (mostly) impeccably attired crowd laughed and cheered at Bogart and Bergman’s stolen looks and troubled relationship. Not even the Nazis singing “Die Wacht am Rhein” in Rick’s Café could throw them off balance.
Parente, co-founder of the successful Film Fatale in Dublin, moved to Berlin and launched this sister event in August. The night has since moved from Roter Salon to the former cinema Villa Neukölln, now a cosy bar with a movie screen and stage in the back room. The scarlet-tinted location serves as a perfect backdrop for going back in time with Hollywood stars.
To liven up the somewhat rote selection – before Casablanca there was Some Like It Hot; next up is Singin’ in the Rain – each screening is followed by a themed afterparty with live performances and DJ sets inspired by the film’s era. And don’t forget custom cocktails: in Casablanca’s case, the ‘Bogart’, a kind of mint julep. The audience plays along, paying homage to the style of the film and its characters.
Technically speaking, there’s no dress code… but let’s just say that this is the only bar in Neukölln where you’ll feel out of place wearing a ragged Iron Maiden T-shirt.
Next event: Singin’ in the Rain, Dec 22 at Villa Neukölln, Hermannstr. 233, Neukölln, U-Bhf Boddinstr, €8/10