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A rooftop movie night

Since Magda (a co-worker at Magnum) and Ian (her husband) have to move from their appartment in Manhatten to a new one in Brooklyn they invited friends for the premier and the closing night of "Movies at 125".
Honestly, how cool is it to hang out on a New York City rooftop with friends watching movies projected onto an old wall? I find it damn cool! Meeting friends on the roof of an old Bowery based building, having drinks and snacks together, enjoying the light breeze up their and watching movies. We saw two movies by french director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. "City of Lost Children" and "The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain" (it's still such a wonderful fairy tale like story). People have been lying on blankets or sitting on small foldable chairs and benches. The structure and pattern of the wall we used for projection gave the movies a very pleasant and retro feeling.

This night on the roof was, to me, something typical about New York. New Yorkers just love their roofs although it seems to get harder and harder to get access. And the big difference between New York and Austria (or Europe) is that most buildings here have flat roofs which means that they can be perfectly used for barbecues, sunbaths, or movie nights. More and more landlords ban rooftop access because of the potential danger...

I guess it's even more speciall to people who have not been born in New York but who moved here. The atmosphere is just very unique if you get up on the roof after a day of hectic New York City life, feeling the air, listening to the sounds of the city and watching the sun going down. But those roofs aren't small green oasis with plants and garden furniture. The original roofs are just inlaid with tar papers. The so called "Tar Beaches" are one more sign of the adaptability and flexibility of New Yorkers. A characteristic I like.

You should also check out our party hosts websites. Magda who works at Magnum and is a photographer herself and Ian who is an illustrator.

Posted by Martin Fuchs on June 19, 2005 11:20 PM