Cineclube Matinees

Based on the desire to revive a historical connection dating back to the 1940s, Batalha invited Cineclube do Porto to bring back the matinees that took place in this space for decades. Every other Sunday, we revisit key moments in the life of Portugal's oldest active film club, exploring its role in the city and the country.
The selection of films presented up to November revisits the theme of theatre in cinema, reviving a programme presented by the Cineclube do Porto between 1953 and 1954. At that time, the aim was to distinguish between the two arts, rejecting the idea of ‘filmed theatre’ and championing cinema as an autonomous language, capable of generating new interpretations from dramatic texts. Adaptations of works by authors such as William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams were screened, as well as films directed by playwrights such as Jean Cocteau and Jean Anouilh. This retrospective also includes a film by Dorothy Arzner, inspired by a play by George Kelly. In December, the festive season is marked by two unmissable classics directed by Luis García Berlanga and Frank Capra.