The Gems of Our Neighborhood: Row House Cinema

In our world, where all deep human interactions and emotions leave its place to mass consumption, production, and disruption, yesterday, we tasted the fresh and sweet juice of a friendly, small, conscious, local movie theater: Row House Cinema. The occasion was special: Coffee, Croissants, & French Cinema - Alphaville, a movie by Jean Luc Godard.

To my shame, I have heard about this famous director but never either watched one of his movies or learned why he was that famous. As I said, shame is accepted. But then in one of the social media platforms that I sometimes detest, sometimes find useful, I saw the opportunity of watching one of his movies in a movie theatre I had wanted to go for a very long time. The experience was also combined with a coffee and croissant and made me really excited. So I said: "Yes, its time, we are going, dear husband." I cannot say he was super excited. Apparently he was not even aware that we had agreed to go... For some reason he has a strong repulsion towards black and white, old movies but, at the same time, he is a person of giving chances and flexibility and love. So he half-heartedly accepted my offer. However, I didn't know that I was supposed to get tickets early and one morning I got a post notification: "Only 4 tickets left - 23 minutes ago". Noooooooo! I rushed to the website and clicked fast to get two of the last, hopefully, four or three or two(!) tickets. For some reason the website didn't allow me to change my ticket quantity from 1 to 2. I was suspicious: "Is it because the website gives tickets one at a time or only one ticket is left and I am buying it right now..? But what about the husband?" The minute that passed proved I got the last ticket. A merciless "Out of Stock" sign appeared on the page and destroyed my excitement to go there with the love. But I didn't give up. When the day came, I decided to call the movie theater to request one more seat from them, maybe to put an additional chair somehow. I had no idea if they would be nice or just dismiss me saying that they don't do this. When I called they were friendly and actually were able to provide us an extra seat, and even coffee and croissant! Yaaaay! I somehow felt that this was going to be an experience and wanted to live it with the love and now it was possible.

It rained all day yesterday and kept raining while we were on our way to the Row House Cinema. I knew it was a sweet local movie theater, showing special movies that I am interested to see. But I never made myself go anywhere close to their location even though I have lived in Pittsburgh for five years. Another shame accepted. When we were walking in the rain and saw the sign I said: "Yes, this is going as I hoped." Then I opened the door, we got in and I said: "Yes, this is going as I hoped." The entrance welcomed us with nice framed prints and a natural wooden floor. The first door on the side of the corridor opened to another shop (Bierport), I peeked in there, a little confused to find where to get our tickets from and I decided that place looked like a beer seller so continued to move forward towards a man who welcomed us warmly to check-in, told us at what time the movie was going to start, and that we should enjoy ourselves. Next we received our coffee and croissants. Our cappuccino had the shape of a nice flower. These little details and surprises give a person all kinds of warm feelings, especially if they come unexpectedly. We moved to the sister-shop (I presume), the Bierport, from the door in the corridor and went downstairs not knowing what to find there. E voila! Another cute little corner with many imported or local beers on the walls, in shelves. Square tables with real candles lit on them, people sitting and talking silently (sadly a hard thing to find in United States), a huge golden retriever wandering around smelling the umbrellas left on the ground, wet from the spring rain. There we were, sitting, talking about the music concerts we remembered the most, and enjoying our coffee with flowers, our croissant with butter, art with peace and friendship. I realized that I do want to have more of these moments and places in my life.

When it was time to go upstairs to the theater I was surprised and also happy for seeing this small room. Although the size of the screen was a bit underwhelming at the beginning, the staff came in and made it two times of the size by removing the curtain downwards. Perfect! When the time for the screening came, the manager (I presume) went on stage and welcomed all of us and got a quick idea of who had ever watched this movie, and who had never come here before. He continued to give us some short information on the movie and the director. At this point, I was blown away by all this sincere, humanly interaction I experienced in Row House Cinema. It was my first time seeing an introduction to a movie in a movie theater and I realized how nice this is compared to the usual, cold version of darkening the room to clue that the movie is starting with only the smallest if at all human interaction. The way they do it in Row House Cinema is way better, and as humans who long for real emotional interactions, we need it. Everyday we are drowning in the sea of unrealistically great looking lives of each other. Every passing year, a new technological invention divides us and separates us from our roots and our families. We become less and less in a more and more world of richness, technology, stylish clothes, endless works and career steps we are urged to keep climbing to live supposedly more happy, more fulfilling lives. As if ashamed of what we really are, we close ourselves to one another, become trapped in the unreal worlds we create for ourselves. This is why we need these little beauties, little gems of our neighborhoods that give us short, sincere talks. We need movie theatres that show the movies they care about. In a local movie theatre we can find this. In a local game store we can find people who are celebrating the important changes in our lives and tell us about themselves. Some people around us are trying to save those last hopes of our humanity. Trying to fight for the things that they care, for all of us.

And the movie, Alphaville. All the things that I already mentioned here and more. After the warm experience I felt in the movie theater, Alphaville showed me even more things. It disturbed my ears with the sound of machines, punched me in the stomach when emotions were executed, made me think of all the words we may forget soon and the ones that are already forgotten.

That said, I am hoping to write a complete blogpost dedicated to Alphaville. I don't post any pictures of the place. Just go there and see for yourselves. If there is no place like this in your neighborhood, then make one yourselves.