On March 12, all movie theatres in Poland were shut down. Since that day I started searching for alternative ways for our cinema existence. - says Marynia Gierat, the head of Kino Pod Baranami. I was searching on various continents and eventually reached New Zealand where Shitt72 operates. Shift72 is a company that supports huge international film festivals like Cannes or South By SouthWest in Austin, Texas. Recently they also produced online documentary festival CPH:DOX in Denmark.
What makes E-Kino Pod Baranami stand out from other streaming platforms is carefully selected film programme based on art-house cinema productions as well as online discussions, introductions and special screenings. One can choose from new movies that have been on the cinema screens recently or older films that are worth seeing more than once. All films are presented in thematic groups. Some movies are available to watch only once and for a certain (short) period of time like in a real cinema! While other films are accessible to rent as VOD.
Two of Kino Pod Baranami’s regular film clubs have already entered the virtual world: students’ Night Film Club and Young Cinema Lovers’ Film Club. Participants are simultaneously watching a film on E-Kino Pod Baranami which is preceded by online introduction and followed by online discussion. While the cinema has to remain closed all film meetings and Q&As are being moved to the Internet.
Kino Pod Baranami cannot wait for the reopening of its cinema rooms to the audience.
Forced by the current situation, E-Kino Pod Baranami was launched as a way of keeping the cinema’s mission ongoing - through the Internet medium. Watching movies on this particular streaming platform is a way of supporting the cinema. Even though this platform came out as a result of pandemic circumstances we will keep it going when it is all over. We would like to use E-Kino Pod Baranami as our next screening room - an extension of regular cinema - Marynia Gierat explains. To this screening room we can invite viewers from all over Poland!
E-Kino Pod Baranami website: www.e-kinopodbaranami.pl.
