State of the Art-House

Beijing's best independent cinemas

With all the state-of-the art multiplexes that are springing up around town these days, the movie buffs at that’s Beijing thought it would be nice to profile some of the city’s lesser-known, more quirky offerings. It used to be that Cherry Lane was the only non-mainstream option in Beijing, but now there’s a wealth of smaller cinemas – discreet, sometimes cluttered, but always unique venues – that combine the comfort of home cinema with everyone’s favorite pastime of going to the movies.

Compiled by Simon Fowler, Michaela Kabat, Alice Xin Liu, Iain Shaw

French Cultural Centre
Showcasing French-language celluloid on a generously sized screen, the FCC’s film programs address topics such as the environment, social issues and seasonal tie-ins – such as last year’s Spring Festival-inspired “pig month.” Director of Cinema Programs Olivier Heux says the Center uses cinema to “break the stereotypes and present a new face of France.” Nevertheless, Heux stresses, the focus remains cinema itself: “We want people to see that there are many different types of cinema, and many different ways to express ideas.” Expect the likes of Amélie and French New Wave. Look out for visits by directors and actors such as Cedric Klapish and Jean Reno.

RMB 20, 10 (students). Daily (except Thu). Call ahead for schedule and subtitle information. 16 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District (6553 2627) www.ccfpekin.org

Cherry Lane at Yugong Yishan
Cherry Lane Movies has made a habit of screening movies in unconventional settings. While their spiritual home of an old Peking Opera theater is being refurbished, they have relocated to rock locale Yugong Yishan for a series of biweekly screenings. The mission of their Film and Filmmakers series is to present contemporary classics from Chinese cinema accompanied by Q&A sessions with folks who were involved in making the film. This month, Jia Zhangke is bruited to be appearing at a screening of his movies Still Life and Dong, proving that the people behind Cherry Lane are committed to bringing the English-speaking community the best of what China has to offer.

RMB 30, 20 (students). Every Sun. Doors open at 7.30pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Italian Embassy Cultural Office
Italian expats – as well as Chinese students of Italian – flock here each Thursday night to catch some of their country’s classic cinematic offerings. Subtitles can be misleading, since Chinese subtitles are sometimes superimposed over English ones – so be prepared to do some multilingual guesswork, which can either be fun or a little off-putting (most likely the latter).

Expect Italian films (surprise, surprise!) such as L’isola (The Island) and Mediterraneo. Hungry cinemagoers can pop next door to the affiliated Chinese restaurant, which does special deals on the night.

Free. Call ahead for schedule. 2 Sanlitun Dong Er Jie, Chaoyang District (6532 5015)

9.30 (Jiudian Ban)
Located opposite Salud in Nanluogu Xiang, Jiudian Ban is a Hong Kong-movie buff’s wet dream. Movies are screened every day at (surprise!) 9.30pm. Expect Jordan Chan (Chen Xiaochun) or Leslie Cheung (Zhang Guorong) in action.

Free. Daily, 9.30pm. 91 Nanluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District (6402 9800)

One Way Street Library (Danxiang Jie)
One Way Street shows documentaries and art-house films by local directors on certain Saturday nights. What’s more, the directors are often on hand for Q&A sessions after each screening (which take place outdoors during the summer months). The movies themselves and the stimulating discussions that often follow them more than compensate for One Way Street’s inconvenient location.

Free. Call ahead for schedule and subtitle information. East gate of Yuanmingyuan (enter the parking lot and keep heading north past the entrance to the park and then turn left), next to Mima Cafe. Haidian District (6257 0357, onewaystreetlibrary@gmail.com) www.onewaystreet.cn

Space for Imagination (Hezi Kafei Guan)
Manager Feng Xiaolong fondly recalls a several hundred-strong audience that packed Hezi for a screening of Stanley Kwan’s Lan Yu, but an average movie night here is far less busy. Perhaps inspired by the underground aesthetics of its chosen films, Hezi is hidden away from street view in a Soviet-style xiaoqu, with a stealthy curtain drawn across the back of the cafe to make a snug, makeshift movie-theater. Expect programs that are director-centered (think Bergman, Jia Zhangke), with alternative seasons spotlighting Chinese short films. Directors and cast members occasionally attend screenings.

Free. Call ahead to check schedule. 5 Xiwangzhuang, Shuangqing Lu (just inside Xiwangzhuang xiaoqu), Haidian District (6279 1280) www.hzcafe.com

Obiwan
Obiwan has introduced a weekly movie night, with a screen set up on the first floor (or the terrace in the summertime). Movies are accompanied by a themed dinner (Italian cuisine for The Godfather, chicken fingers with tomato sauce for the gory Kill Bill), though some might find the layout less than conducive for dining. Still, the food, venue and movies themselves certainly make the trek to Xihai worthwhile. Expect popular yet critically acclaimed fare such as City of God and Trainspotting.

Free. Every Thu, 8pm or 10pm. 4 Xihai Xiyan (300m from Jishuitan subway station), Dongcheng District (6617 3231) www.clubobiwan.com

Ladies' Book Saloon
Anyone excited by the name’s connotation of a Wild West-style tavern patronized by bookworms of the fairer sex will be disappointed. This is in fact a bookshop, and it is indeed aimed principally at ladies. But equality rules, as both ladies and gentlemen are welcome to the Saturday film nights, which are screened in a small, violet-tinged room. The saloon’s selections tend towards arty, with recent programs revealing a penchant for French cinema. Films shown in original language, usually with Chinese subtitles.

Free. Every Wed and Sat, 7pm. 69 Chengfu Lu, Haidian District (6270 1928)

Instituto Cervantes
Showings are less frequent than at the French Cultural Center, but Spain’s Instituto Cervantes proves its dedication to cinema as a means of cultural expression, with twice-weekly screenings in its modestly sized – yet state-of-the-art – auditorium. Attracting a mixed crowd, el Instituto presents Spanish cinema across the genres, with particular emphasis on more contemporary offerings.

Free. Fri, Sat 7pm. Call ahead for subtitle information. 1A Gongti Nanlu, Chaoyang District (5879 9666)

D-22 Bar
It would be easy to criticize D-22’s failings as a “cinema,” but it’s nice to know that there’s a place in Beijing where you can wander in, down a drink and watch something a little different from the average popcorn movie. Expect offerings such as Ingmar Bergman’s Wild Strawberries or even Spinal Tap to be projected onto the generously proportioned screen just in front of the stage.

Free. Wed, Thu, 7pm. 242 Chengfu Lu (two doors west of 13 Club), Haidian District (6265 3177, charles@d22beijing.com) www.d22beijing.com

Story Club (Lao Gushi Canba)
Located inside the CCTV Story Channel compound, which itself is part of a space that hosts the Female Directors’ Club, Story Club is at the heart of what could be described as Beijing’s Hollywood. Prestigious neighbors include the Beijing Film Academy, where the likes of Zhang Yimou studied, and the Beijing Film Studio (where much of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor was filmed). The movies shown have a strong cultural and educational theme, such as Yilun Mingyue (A Bright Moon).

Free. Call ahead for schedule and subtitle information. 61 Beisanhuan, Haidian District (8207 1909 ext 1202)

The Seventh Prison (Diqi Jianyu)
Director-cum-proprietor Zhang Jiangnan opened Seventh Prison so he could share his jaw-dropping collection of independent films with fellow film-lovers. The directors will occasionally be on hand to talk about their movies after they are screened. Expect the likes of Wednesday, Thursday (Xingqi San, Xingqi Si) or Stanley Kwan’s Lan Yu.

Free. Call ahead for schedule and subtitle information. 7 Baimi Xiejie, Qianhai Nanyan, Shichahai, Dongcheng District (6403 2968)