South American Cinephilia: A Useful Life

In 1960s Cuba, the medium of cinema had to be distributed in all corners of the country. Therefore, mobile cinemas were established. All forms of transport were used, including donkeys, to transport display equipment out to the more inaccessible regions. 'For the First Time' shows the rural population's first encounter with the art of cinema - a charming display of Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times'.

All film lovers should visit Federico Veiroj's humorous and understated 'A Useful Life'. The film follows the taciturn Jorge, who works as a program editor at the illustrious but financially strapped Cinematek of Uruguay, where he selects films, introduces screenings, talks to audiences and generally tries to keep alive an institution whose audiences are dwindling and whose future is increasingly uncertain. With its precise black-and-white pictorial compositions and its in-depth look at the particular rhythms of cinema and life behind the scenes — Veiroj himself has a past as a programme editor — the film portrays the movie-loving life with both affection and mild self-irony. 'A Useful Life' is a genuinely loving portrait of an endangered film culture, and Veiroj's belief in the medium of film — and in the societal relevance of cinematographers worldwide — expressed as a low-key insistence that films belong in the darkness of cinema and that they can open our gaze to the world that awaits outside.

Director: Octavio Cortázar
Country/year: Cuba, 1967
Running time: 9 min.
Formato: DCP
Language: Spanish speech with English subtitles
Age limit: Allowed for children over 15
Original title: Por primera vez

Part of the series: The Many Lives of the Cinema
For 30 years, the cinema halls in Gothersgade have been the beating heart of Cinemateket. We celebrate this with a series of films set in and around cinemas, depicting life in the hall, the foyer and behind the scenes. Welcome to the cinema!