As dusk settled on Sunday evening, a small projector screen appeared in the middle of Carrboro Town Commons. Around 25 people gathered in front of it, some with chairs, others on blankets or simply on the ground, watching a 1969 Czechoslovakian film directed by Juraj Herz, "The Cremator." As the wind blew, the projector swayed slightly.
The film was brought to the Town Commons by way of Triangle Guerrilla Cinema, which started when a group of friends with a shared love for film decided they wanted to start utilizing public spaces to show films for free. After making an Instagram, the group now reaches a larger audience and sets up their films at various venues across the Triangle. They focus on curating films that align with their values, politics and aesthetics to help grow local counter-culture.
An essential part of Triangle Guerrilla Cinema's mission is promoting film as a communal art form, rather than an isolated activity. Nebraska Stainkamp, a first-time attendee and friend of one of the collective’s organizers, admitted he was initially on the fence about attending. He had heard about the event but had planned to watch a movie alone on his couch. In the end, he decided to join and found himself enjoying the experience of sharing media with friends and fellow community members.
Rajee Karunaratne, another first timer, said he is into film and has been following Guerrilla Cinema for a while.
“It is nice weather [today], and I had a relaxed day. It's a nice chill thing to do,” he said. “The movie — I had never heard of it — and a buddy of mine was down to come.”
The collective chooses non-mainstream films, prioritizing those with unique perspectives or containing radical or subversive elements. "The Cremator" is a good example, as it tells the story of Karel Kopfrkingl, a cremator in 1930s Prague, who gradually becomes obsessed with the idea of purifying people through cremation, seeing his work in a twisted, almost spiritual light. As his obsession deepens, he falls under the influence of Nazi ideology. The film presents the theme of moral corruption and explores the ominous rise of fascism in Europe.
Recently, Triangle Guerrilla Cinema has put on some memorable films, the collective wrote in an email statement. Last spring, they put on a film during the Palestinian solidarity encampment at UNC, "Hijacker," about a Palestinian woman who took some very bold actions in the name of liberation. They also recently screened "Nostalgia for the Light," which addressed the legacy of the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Chile.
“We think it is powerful to show these kinds of films in public,” the collective wrote. “To have public acknowledgement of these histories and struggles that are not common knowledge.”
Part of the beauty of public screening, especially with such thought-provoking pieces, is the invitation for dialogue and reflection.
