Alicante’s cultural scene welcomes a new initiative at Bardin House as the Alicante Cultural Institute Juan Gil-Albert launches a Movie Club. A film expert will guide the series, bringing together cinephiles who enjoy lively conversations about cinema. The coordinating role is held by Toni Cristobal, known for his long tenure as programming director of the Sant Joan d’Alacant Film Festival since 2012 and for managing the town’s Film Library since 2010.
The inaugural gathering is scheduled for next week, on Wednesday 7 February, from 7:00 PM to 7:00 PM, at the Gil-Albert headquarters located at San Fernando, 44. The first theme centers on survival cinema, with a spotlight on Bayona’s The Snow Society, a film that drew Oscar consideration and represented a compelling case study in contemporary genre storytelling.
After the opening session, the Movie Club will blend discussion with a reading club approach. The coordinator will propose a theme for each session, shaping a multi-session program across the year. The format is designed to encourage participation and thoughtful dialogue among attendees, offering a welcoming space for cinema lovers to engage with screenings and ideas. Attendance is free, and interested participants are invited to register. In place of a direct online registration link, interested readers can expect a simple sign-up process coordinated by the institute.
First session focus
The inaugural session will explore survival cinema through a curated mix of contemporary titles and enduring classics. Alongside Bayona’s film, attendees will consider titles such as Cast Away by Robert Zemeckis (2000) and Resurrection by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (2015). The discussion will weave a brief historical tour of the genre while centering the conversation on the central themes presented in The Snow Society, enriching participants’ understanding of how survival narratives reflect cultural and technological shifts of the era.
Illustrative visuals from the films will accompany the discussion, with notes on how performance, setting, and storytelling converge to create immersive survival experiences. A supplementary information panel will offer context on historical trends in survival cinema, helping attendees trace the evolution of the genre across decades and national cinemas.
Other arts forums remain part of this ongoing program. The institute plans additional gatherings across music, visual arts, and literature, all guided by the same participatory spirit. The next session, scheduled toward the end of February, will center on music and will follow the same dynamic of dialogue and shared discovery. Cristina Martinez, the cultural director at Gil-Albert, emphasizes that the aim is to transform Bardin House into a vibrant space for public discussion and cross-disciplinary exchange, enriching the city’s cultural landscape through citizen involvement and creative exploration.