Laid-off projectionist turns Córdoba cinema into a refuge for outsiders
*The Night Is Fading Away*, by Ramiro Sonzini and Ezequiel Salinas, follows a projectionist in Córdoba whose job is cut and who secretly moves into his cinema. The film presents the theatre as a refuge where people facing economic hardship and social exclusion find company, and suggests that cinema can inspire collective action.
Pelu invites his unemployed roommate, an ageing drifter and a sex worker to stay, and they watch films by directors including Jean Renoir, Yasujiro Ozu and Robert Bresson. Set after Javier Milei’s 2023 election victory, the story follows the group as they use vandalism to turn a commercial space into a communal haven. The film is showing at London’s ICA from 23 October.
- A Córdoba cinema becomes a refuge for people facing hardship.
- Its projectionist and guests turn film appreciation into collective action.
- The story unfolds after Javier Milei’s 2023 election win.
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Córdoba is a city in Argentina, where Javier Milei won the presidency in 2023. His election came amid a prolonged economic crisis, with many people facing insecure work and financial hardship.
The film centres on Pelu, a cinema projectionist who loses his job and secretly stays in the theatre. He offers shelter to people on the margins, including his unemployed roommate, an older drifter and a sex worker; films by directors such as Jean Renoir, Yasujiro Ozu and Robert Bresson become part of their shared life.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “The Night Is Fading Away review – hypnotic homage to cinema as a force for public good”.