Sept. 22, 2014 By Christian Murray
More than 200 people attended the first movie screening at Hunters Point South Park on Saturday night.
The film, Julie & Julia, was displayed on a 26 x 24 foot screen, on what was a clear night offering unblemished views of Manhattan.
The Hunters Point Parks Conservancy, which organized the event, selected the movie since a good portion of it was shot in Long Island City. The film contrasts the life of Chef Julia Child with the experiences of Long Island City resident Julie Powell, who wrote a popular blog about cooking all of Child’s recipes from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” within a year.
Powell, who has seen the film 13 times, had many supporters at the event, particularly her friends from the Murray Park dog run. They were there to “support me and make fun of me,” she said.
Powell spoke before the movie and discussed showcasing Long Island City to the late Nora Ephron, who directed the movie. She also talked about Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon recipe, which she said captured the soul of Child’s French cook book.
“The weather was perfect and a lot of people came with blankets, pillows and picnics,” said Robert Basch, who organized the event with the Hunters Point Parks Conservancy. He said LIC Landing had a pop corn machine going and was selling its regular food.
Basch said he was not sure when the next movie will be screened.“We don’t want our sponsors to pay $2,000 if the weather’s terrible.”
The film was sponsored by real estate firm Nest Seekers International.
For future events, click on Hunters Point Parks Conservancy Facebook page.
3 Comments
I am glad everyone enjoyed the movie. The weather can be an issue so we may hold off until next year before we start a full movie schedule. We would welcome community input on what movies they would like to see and we will try and make it happen. Please go to our Facebook page at Hunters Point Park Conservancy for updates on any events and to offer comments on movies or anything else.
Not trying to be a dick, but if you read the article, it says there is no solid lineup:
“Basch said he was not sure when the next movie will be screened.“We don’t want our sponsors to pay $2,000 if the weather’s terrible.”
Otherwise, I went to the screening with my wife and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
When is the next movie? Is there a webpage with a list of dates?