Screening of “The Cruise” and an immersive boat cruise experience with Gideon Reeling and Obara International

This year, KINOTEKA Closing Night event will involve the screening of the cult Polish comedy The Cruise (1970) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, launching the first UK release of the film by Second Run DVD. After the show, the audience will experience an authentic boat ride on the river Thames with a specially commissioned immersive theatre performance and live music.

6:30pm at ICA
THE CRUISE (REJS)

Regarded as Polish cinema’s first ‘cult film’, Piwowski’s The Cruise is also considered by many to be a satirical masterpiece. Shot in a quasi-documentary style, with a cast featuring mostly non-professional actors, the absurd plot parodies life in the (then) People’s republic of Poland, reducing a weekend river cruise to a hilarious satire of the entire Communist system. Piwowski’s gift of observation, his sense of humour and an acute awareness of national pathology have made The Cruise one of Poland’s most popular and widely-known films of the 1970s.8.15pm

8:15pm at Tower Pier
A CRUISE DOWN THE ABSURD: Live boat cruise experience with GIDEON REELING AND OBARA INTERNATIONAL

The cruise, inspired by the iconic film and its absurd humour will immerse the audience in a specially  commissioned theatre performance by the upcoming British theatre group, Gideon reeling. Their act will be part scripted and part improvised for the duration of the evening and will be set in the era of the cult film, building on the aesthetic and the characters of The Cruise and the 1970s. The performance will be accompanied by live music inspired by Polish film music from the 60s and 70s, as well as a DJ set presenting a mixture of 70s party music, film music and comedic music. The performance will be accompanied by live music including the world-famous Obara International with their project Komeda, and some new, specially commissioned works. Immerse yourself in the feelings of surreality, confusion and the absurd!

8:15 pm Boarding the boat
8:45 pm Departure from Tower Pier

There will be a bus transfer arranged for joint ticket holders from the ICA to the Tower pier. No late comers will be admitted on the boat. There will be two bars selling drinks on the boat.