Docklands’ very own cinema

Docklands’ very own cinema

Many Docklanders may not realise that we already have a cinema. It happens once a month on a Sunday afternoon at Library at the Dock and is far from mainstream.

It’s probably fair to say Docklands would not have been EuRaw Stories’ first choice to host its monthly screenings from Central, Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

The not-for-profit film society is starting its second year at the venue having accepted an offer from the City of Melbourne.

But members are still shocked by the eerie quietness of Docklands on a Sunday.

EuRaw president Sabi Paisa appreciates the state-of-the-art venue but admits to be a little unnerved by the weekend ghost-town feel.

A serious film professional, Sabi loves bringing little-known, eclectic titles to Australia and would love more locals to experience the richness and beauty contained within them.

“The story telling is different,” she explained.

She said viewers should not expect “action” or characters embarking on personal crusades.

“It’s generally about normal people on normal journeys,” she said. “They’re family films happening around the kitchen table.”

“They are interesting stories that explore human needs.”

Ms Paisa the films she chose were about ideas, or portraits, or philosphies and generally concentrated on the here and now.

However, many genres and nations were included, with some films featuring a vast array of nations in their acting, financing and production personnel.

For Sabi, the role brings the personal satisfaction of connecting with her native Romania.

“It’s a bridge to reconnect with my ethnicity,” she said.

Having first come to Australia to study cinema in 1999, she has since established a teaching and script supervision role within the local film and television industry.

The next film to feature is a 2015 Serbian film called Open Cage. It screens at 2.30pm on Sunday, March 19.

Ms Paisa said the film society often interviewed people connected with the production before the screening, so locals should not think the material was inaccessible.

In fact, she is offering three-month membership passes to the first two locals to get in touch via Facebook (search http://www.facebook.com/EuRaw-Stories). The Facebook page and the website (http://www.euraw.com.au) also carry the screening program.

For those with outdated preconceptions of Eastern Europe, she reminds us that the Berlin Wall was dismantled 28 years ago! Get down there on March 19 and show Sabi that people actually live here on weekends.

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