“Nuit blanche” on Oct 4th and Oct 5th 2014
On Saturday, 0ctober 04th., starting at 04 p.m., everyone is welcome, on the “Place de la Monnaie”, invited by the City of Brussels. From there, being the “meeting point” of this activity, you will have untill 5 a.m., on Sunday, October 05th., to enjoy the “Nuit Blanche” (“White Night”).
Coming from Paris, the “Nuit Banche” is a culturel concept, giving the opportunity to everyone to walk dowtown and discover, here in Brussels, this year, the interesting works of 35 artists in 35 different places. You can find the full program and many other informations on the webside : http://www.nuitblanchebrussels.be.
This year, in the Capital of Belgium and Europe, the theme is the cinema. Explaining the history of the old movies’ theatres, in the beginning of the 20th. century, you can follow, in a guided tour gived – in english and dutch – by Guido Convents. He will wait for you, on 10 p.m., in front of the former “Marivaux “Marivaux” movie thatre (being now a conferences’ room of the “Plaza Hotel”, on “Boulevard Anspach”, Nr. 98. Also, in french, two guided tours, with Isabel Biver, will start from the same place, on 09:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
So, you will learn that the first film was shown in Brussels, in 1896, by the Lumiere brothers, in the “Galeries Saint-Hubert”, Nr. 07. The first speaking film shown in Belgium, was “The Jazz Singer” (Alan Crosland/USA/90′). It was in 1929, in the “Aubert” movie theatre, wich was ocated on “rue Neuve”, a street offering, at this time, many dancings and movie theatres. Now this walking street if fulled by shops selling everything in the day time and being closed in the evening.
In the 20’s, downtown Brussels, we had not less than … 250 movies theatres. The biggest of Belgium was also in “rue Neuve”, on Nr. 30. This was the “Metropole”, with … 3000 seats available. Opened to the public in 1932, by the Queen Eisabeth, the “Metropole” became a shop for clothes in 1982.
Not far from there, you have to stop on “place De Brouckere”, where Steven Spielberg came, in 2011, for the world premiere of “The Aventures of Tintin” (USA/107′), in the “UGC” (former “Edorado”). This square will be without any car during this great “Nuit Banche”. From 08 p.m. untill 01 a.m., some concerts will be gived overthere, with films’ extracts, realisated in Brussels, shown on a giant projection screan.
On the same square, in the “Metropole Hotel”, you can become one actor during 30′, between 08:30 p.m. and 00:30 a.m. This will be in the spirit of “Great Gasby” (Francis Ford Coppola/USA/ 144’/1974) with Mia Farrow and Robert Redfort. But than, don’t forget to be dressed like in the 20’s!!! …
Free to you, also, to go back “rue Neuve”, to find the “passage du Nord”, to listen to some jazz music, with the “Revitalists” on stage, as well as “The Retronettes”, some vintage female dancers.
For the senior citizens, the City of Brussels provide a little FREE train on wheels to go from place to place. So, also for the walkers, don’t worry for the security in the dowtown streets during this “Nuit Banche”.
And to finish, as well as possible, this special cultural night, starting at 02 a.m., on Sunday October 05th., you can reach different movies theatres (“Nova”, “Actor’s Studio”, “Galeries Cinéma” et “Cinéma Aventures”) to see different films, from some documentaries untill some erotic films.
So, you cann’t miss this “Nuit Blanche”! … And don’t forget, all activities, concerts and films’ projections included, are FREE! … A real gift of the City of Brussels waiting you to let you do your … cinema, … lonely, in couples or with your family or some of friends, between 04 p.m. and 05 a.m., during this great week-end of the 12th. “Nuit Banche”.
Brussels Diplomatic 
You must be logged in to post a comment.