Yesterday I went to the cinema in Weimar. Midnight train, Jim Jarmusch. The only Jarmusch movie I hadn't seen yet. I was excited and even more excited when I found myself in an empty cinema theater. Nobody was interested in Jarmusch on a rainy Sunday night. A private viewing. It reminded me of my days in Sturovo, Slovakia where I would sometimes be the only, or one of two or three visitors in the cinema and would be sent home again because they only played it for a minimum of six people. Once I bought six tickets because I really wanted to see the movie. I wish I remember which one it was. It must have been a special movie. Anyway, six tickets costed about as much as going to the cinema in Amsterdam would cost. Making this link between two cinemas I thought about another link I had forgotten about. Kriterion in Sarajevo. I was there in February this year and stumbled upon a small filmhouse in one of the big streets in the center. I used to go to Kriterion in Amsterdam a lot and I never wondered about the name. Now I did, especially since the typography was exactly the same so there had to be a connection between Kriterion in Sarajevo and Kriterion in Amsterdam. I asked a couple of people but nobody knew. Today I researched the matter and discovered the interesting story behind Kriterion (Amsterdam). It finds its origin in the student resistance during world War II. A group of students who had given up their studies because of the war were involved in rescuing thousands of Jewish children by hiding them in- and outside of Amsterdam. Already before the end of the war, the student group discussed starting a filmhouse after the war. The filmhouse was supposed to be run by students only. The goal was be to create an opportunity for the students to earn money so they could finish their studies without being dependant on their parents. These days Kriterion in Amsterdam is still 100% run by students. And so is Kriterion in Sarajevo. It was inspired by Kriterion Amsterdam and opened its doors in June last year. Like Kriterion Amsterdam it will give students an opportunity to earn money and gain experience. Furthermore it will be an important new stage for art and culture and an opportunity for Dutch and Bosnian students & film/art lovers to exchange ideas and information.
More info here and here
