The Formentera office of culture announces the fourteenth Cinema a la Fresca, free evening screenings of classics and contemporary highlights from Spanish and world cinema.

Under the creative direction of Veronique Landy and Espai F, the outdoor film series brings together, from July to September, 32 arthouse gems from varying countries and spanning the 1930s to present day, screened in their original language. The initiative kicks off its weekly circuit on Tuesdays in Sant Francesc’s Jardí de ses Eres, before moving to the Sant Ferran square and La Mola’s Casa del Poble patio on Thursdays and Fridays, respectively.

Programme
The Cinema a la Fresca programme commences Tuesday 30 June in Sant Francesc with a film that is additionally included in the activities’ bill in support of World LGBTQI+ Pride Day. Sebastián Lelio’s Una mujer fantástica follows Marina, a transgender youth in the Chilean capital of Santiago who works as a waitress and singer. She and her partner, Orlando, twenty years her senior, see themselves in each other’s future until Orlando dies, leaving Marina with no other choice but to face up to her family and show them she is strong, honest and fabulous.

Thursday 2 July, crowds in Sant Francesc’s Plaça de l’Església will be treated to celebrated director Fernando Amenábar’s Mientras dure la guerra. Relying on the through-line of the political and personal conflict of writer-philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, the film explores the events that transpired in Salamanca over the second half of 1936.

Friday 3 July, visitors to the Casa del Poble patio space will be able to check out Sherlock JR. Filmed by American Buster Keaton in 1924, the wordless love story features Keaton in the part of a young film-house projector operator. Poor, optimistic, bright-eyed and enamoured with a handsome woman for whose attention he must clamour, the man finds himself facing off against a dastardly foil who will ready to stop at nothing to thwart his plans. Refusing to take things sitting down, the young Romeo studies the methodology of detectives in order, he reasons, to become a modern Sherlock Holmes.

The series additionally includes child-friendly fare like Dilili a París, Ponyo en el acantilado and, on 9 July in Sant Ferran, Mi amigo el gigante, aka The BFG. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the film tells the story of a girl who finds herself joining forces with a giant to stymie an invading force of evil giants who are prepared to gobble up every boy and girl in the country.

Formentera’s youngest film fans are invited to come out for Avatar on Thursday 23 July. The visually exquisite animated feature not only champions environmental causes, it brims with a magic and marvel that will warm even the coldest heart.

Among the highlights of this year’s Cinema a la Fresca are live performances by pianist Jota Hidalgo of the soundtracks accompanying Sherlock JR. and Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid. The former takes place Friday 3 July and the latter on Tuesday 21 July.

Films will be shown in idyllic natural and open-air backdrops where covid-19 safety and physical distancing protocol will be in place.

26 June 2020
Department of Communication
Consell de Formentera

In celebration of World Pride Day on 28 June, the Formentera office of equality and LGBTQ+ has unveiled a bill of activities bringing together, under the banner “Proud to Fight for Equality”, a host of events which are designed, said Consell president Alejandra Ferrer, to defend diversity.

The seven-day programme kicked off Wednesday afternoon when Formentera Marxa interviewed Sa Clau de s'Armari’s Xose Agulla on Instagram. The Casal de Joves hosted a 6.00pm screening of Lukas Dhont’s film “Girl” about the struggle of a young trans woman.

President Ferrer, equality and LGTBQI+ consellera Vanessa Parellada and department staffer Azucena Carrasco stood for a photo in front of the rainbow pride flag — a symbol of support that will be hung across the façade of the Consell until 5 July. At tomorrow’s full-house assembly backing is expected to come for a proclamation in support of the LGBTQI+ community.

LGBTQI+ allies are encouraged tomorrow to take to the Consell’s social media profiles to post their own supportive photos. From 29 June to 4 July the Marià Villangómez Library will share daily recommendations of literature that touches on LGTBI themes.

The outdoor film series Cinema a la Fresca starts at 10.00pm, Tuesday 30 June, with Sebastián Leilo's “Una mujer fantástica”. A reckoning with the fraught realities of life for trans women in Chile, the film will be screened to crowds in Jardí de ses Eres in Sant Francesc.

The World Pride Day programme culminates at 5.00pm on Wednesday 1 July with a livestreamed interview with Chrysallis Balears president Carmen Alberto on the Instagram account of the Casal de Joves.

25 June 2020
Department of Communications
Consell de Formentera