article by Michael Dizon

On a warm Friday evening, TIC members descended on Cinecitta to watch a film adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel “Far From the Madding Crowd”. Before the movie started, we had time to lounge in the courtyard, have a drink and enjoy the still bright late spring sun.

Compared to the big cinema houses, catching a movie at Cinecitta felt comfy and pleasant. The theater only seats a limited number of people and the intimate size gives every seat a good view. The film itself was quite engaging and the climax elicited emotional reactions from the crowd. Some of the loud comments (and shouts) at the end from people who got really involved in the characters and the story came from the chairs occupied by TIC.

Afterwards, we headed to the resto-bar to talk about the movie over rounds of drinks and borrelhapjes. Inspired by the film, we had interesting conversations about love and loss and all things in between. It was a perfectly gezellig way to start a long May weekend.