What's this all about?

Moving Pictures does guerilla film screenings at former cinema sites in Limerick city centre. We have had at least 12 cinemas here but sadly none remain. Please email me burnscarla@hotmail.com with any queries or comments. 

Scroll down for images and words on Wim Wenders Weekender. You can click on the images to enlarge them.

'Wings of Desire' projected onto the site of the old Lyric cinema

'Buena Vista Social Club' projected onto the outside of the old Royal Cinema (aka the Theatre Royal)

Paris, Texas returns to Limerick, Ireland
Remembering the Grand Central Cinema
Carla Burns

The Grand Central Cinema on Bedford Row was roughly resurrected for one short evening on Friday 11th September when I screened Wim Wenders’ film ‘Paris, Texas’. This gorgeous and dreamlike masterpiece tells the story of Travis (Harry Dean Stanton), an amnesiac who is found wandering the desert by his brother and returned to civilization to be reacquainted with his young son and his lost love. My work echoes Travis’ journey, as the film is partly concerned with fragmentary memory and the attempt to reclaim oneself by piecing together these fragments.

I would like to pay homage to the life of the past Limerick cinemas. I have been collecting newspaper articles and stories, and revisiting the sites of former cinemas to rescreen films that once showed there. ‘Paris, Texas’ was last seen on the big screen in Limerick in 1985 at the Bedford Row cinema, which was then called the ‘Central Studio’. I wish I had been there, and I loved seeing those desolate and dazzling images of the Texan desert projected on Limerick walls once again. The venue is beautifully renovated but retains none of its cinema fittings, so a colourful makeshift cinema was in place for the evening.

Friday was the opening night of Wim Wenders Weekender. On Saturday evening I screened ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ on the outside wall of the Theatre Royal on Cecil Street. The Royal was a cinema before it became a music venue, so it was ideal for Wenders’ 1999 documentary about ageing Cuban musicians. On Sunday I moved down to the former site of the Lyric Cinema on Glentworth Street for a very special outdoor screening of ‘Wings of Desire’, a stunning visual poem set in Berlin.

All screenings were free of charge. The screenings are supported by ‘Creative Limerick – Connect to the Grid’, a new City Hall initiative which connects vacant commercial buildings in the city centre with people who work in the creative industries.

A massive hug and thank you to all who helped, especially Lise Ann Sheahan of Limerick City Hall.



Makeshift cinema in the old Grand Central Cinema on Bedford Row

Photo courtesy of the wonderful Emma Jervis

Usherettes Paula Bourke-Girgis, Slainne Linnane, Amy Taylor & Catherine O'Brien                           Photo from Emma Jervis

Screening of 'Paris, Texas' at the old Grand Central Cinema 

Photo from Emma Jervis

Wim Wenders Weekender!!!

In May 1985, Limerick cinema audiences were fortunate enough to see Wim Wenders' award-winning ‘Paris, Texas’ on the big screen at the Grand Central cinema on Bedford Row. Twenty-four years later, Moving Pictures will re-screen Wenders’ subtly striking and dreamlike film in the space where the cinema stood for over 70 years. This is a vacant building with limited seating so please bring your own seats if you can, and wrap up warm. Moving Pictures will also screen two other Wim Wenders films this weekend, both outdoors, come rain or shine (see below). No entrance fee will be charged for any of the three films. Hooray!

Programme
Friday 11th September – 8pm – ‘Paris, Texas’, Bedford Row (formerly Grand Central cinema) – indoors

Saturday 12th September – 9.30pm - ‘Buena Vista Social Club’, Cecil Street (formerly The Royal Cinema/Theatre Royal) – outdoors

Sunday 13th September – 9.30pm – ‘Wings of Desire’, Glentworth Street (formerly the Lyric cinema) – outdoors

Moving Pictures at the SpiritStore Art Cafe

The SpiritStore talk went really well.

Emma Jervis took some wonderful photos. Thank you Emma!

Also, Marylin Lennon has written about it on the SpiritStore blog: http://www.spiritstorelimerick.blogspot.com/

Eilish Tuite of the SpiritStore

Alan English, former manager of the Savoy Cinema

Jack Bourke, former owner of the City Theatre

Sunday 16th August at 7pm

All are welcome to the SpiritStore Art Cafe in Limerick on Sunday 16th August at 7pm when Moving Pictures will be doing a talk about Limerick city centre cinemas (or lack of!).

SpiritStore blog: spiritstorelimerick@blogspot.com

What's on at the movies? - opening event

Moving Pictures presents
WHAT'S ON AT THE MOVIES?

Last month saw Moving Pictures' debut event, a cinema revival week for Limerick city centre. There have been at least twelve city centre cinemas in Limerick and now there are none. I screened eight films over six consecutive nights in sites where cinemas used to be. Screenings were inside or outside, and all screenings were free of charge. Many thanks to everyone who helped make it happen! Scroll down to see the films we watched and some photos of the week.

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Keep checking in for the next Moving Pictures event, which will be posted soon.

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'What's on at the Movies' was part of an exhibition called Tetris at the old Thomond Cinema (now Stix) on Nicholas Street, organised by the Make & Do Society: http://www.makeanddosociety.blogspot.com/

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Pathfinder Pat has written a lovely review of the week: http://pathfinderpat.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/the-last-picture-show/
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THIS WAS THE LINE-UP:
Saturday 2 May: 'METROPOLIS' at the Athenaeum (Cecil St) 9.30pm - outside

Metropolis was actually shown at the Athenaeum in 1927, the year of its' release.

Sunday 3 May: 'NIGHT OF THE HUNTER' at the Lyric (Glentworth St) 9.30pm - outside

Monday 4 May: 'AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON' at the Central (Bedford Row) 9.30pm - inside

This film was screened in 1983 at the Central

Monday 4 May: 'THE BIRDS' at the Savoy (Bedford Row) 9.30pm - outside

'The Birds' was shown at the Savoy in 1964

Tuesday 5 May: 'E.T.' at the Carlton (Henry Street) starts 9.30pm - outside

'E.T' was enormously popular in Limerick - it ran for seven weeks over Christmas/New Year of 1982-83.

Wednesday 6 May: 'THE GENERAL' at the Abbey Kinema (George's Quay) 9.30pm - outside

Thursday 7 May: 'THE SEARCHERS' at the Thomond (Nicholas St) 5.30pm - inside

'The Searchers' was last shown at the Thomond cinema in 1960, just three years before the cinema closed down

plus... 'CINEMA PARADISO' at the Thomond (Nicholas St) 8pm - inside

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You can double click on these images to enlarge them