Cinema Metropolis: Absolute Hell or Total Triumph | New York, Los Angeles

The image of the large American metropolis always drifts between two extreme poles: from an alienated, melancholic dystopia to a sublime romance that fulfills the American Dream. In this session, we will embark on a journey between the vertical skyline of New York and the mesmerizing horizon of Los Angeles, exploring how in America—everything begins and ends with money, class, and race.

From the East Coast, we will examine New York—a city whose image is torn between the yuppie, romantic version of Woody Allen and the isolated, menacing vision of Scorsese. Does the city reflect the brutal vision of the mythical planner Robert Moses, or did the residents and the streets triumph thanks to social and liberal struggles? Through cinema, we will explore the city's famous grid layout, where stepping out onto the street blurs class boundaries and turns the individual into part of a vibrant human cosmos.

From the West Coast, we will encounter Los Angeles—the city of endless freeways, villas, and palm trees. Here, the shimmering glamour of Hollywood coexists with loneliness, crime, and a class segregation deeply embedded in the city’s horizontal planning—elements that have also created a fascinating backdrop for countless films. Through the lens of the "City of Angels," we will understand how the studio industry grew (along with its Jewish connection) and examine the issues of race and nationalism that compose it.

Together, we will uncover the covert propaganda operating within the built environment and on the big screen, discovering how the American Dream receives a physical and cinematic expression that echoes all the way into our own local reality today.

Following the lecture, we will screen the film Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, 1991), which follows the story of three young men growing up in South Central Los Angeles, portraying their struggle to survive and succeed in an environment rife with poverty, gangs, drugs, and violence.

Event Schedule:

19:00 Hangout with Anan Records & drinks by Cafe Lev

19:45 Lecture – Absolute Hell or Total Triumph

20:45 Film Screening: Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton, USA, 1991, 107 mins)

Notes:

Unassigned seating; alternative seating arrangements

Early arrival is recommended to secure a spot when doors open

Registration is available for individual events; sessions can be attended independently

Speaker: Shani Kiniso, Film Researcher and Critic

Content Development: Moran Navon, Content Manager at Liebling Haus

This event is a collaboration between the Liebling Haus (one of the Bialik Square cultural centers), The Intangible Cinema Project, Devek and Anan Records.

Cinema Metropolis is an event series exploring global cities at critical turning points and times of crisis: from wars and political or religious tensions, through social and economic hardships, to eras of prosperity and peace. Each session examines different cities through the medium of film, revealing how historical crises shaped urban landscapes—both in reality and on screen. By looking at other cities during times of crisis and change, we hope to re-examine our own local space and contemplate the future we wish to shape here.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures