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Cines Callao celebrate 100 years with a free film in the square
Callao Square will become an open-air cinema this Wednesday to celebrate 100 years of Cines Callao. The selected film will be ‘Back to the Future’, which can be seen free of charge from an area set up in the square itself.
The screening will begin at 21:30, although access will open half an hour earlier. The organisers will install 164 seats and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until the available capacity is filled.
Each seat will include popcorn and water to accompany the screening. Visitors will also be allowed to bring their own food and drink, provided it is non-alcoholic, so many attendees will be able to treat the evening as a small urban picnic.
The film will be shown on the building’s exterior screen, one of Callao’s most recognisable sights. For a few hours, pedestrian traffic, shops and the lights of Gran Vía will share space with a cinema screening open to the public.
The choice of ‘Back to the Future’ connects with several generations and reinforces the nostalgic character of the anniversary. The story of Marty McFly and Doc Brown will thus leave the cinema auditorium to be projected at one of the busiest points in the city centre.
Those wishing to get a seat will need to arrive early, as there will be no advance booking. Once the 164 seats are occupied, visibility from other points in the square will depend on the turnout and the areas marked out for the event.
Cines Callao has been linked to Madrid’s cultural life for a century and forms part of the Gran Vía landscape. The building has hosted premieres, festivals and presentations, as well as serving as a regular meeting point for Madrid residents and visitors.
The night will leave an unusual image in the city centre: a square used to people passing through quickly turned into an auditorium. For a few hours, Callao will swap haste for popcorn, screen lights and a film known by almost everyone.