Red Bull Open-Air Cinema Lights Up the Olympic Flag-Raising Square with Captivating Documentaries

    From August 11 to 17, the first-ever 2013 Red Bull Open-Air Cinema (Redbull Outdoor Cinema) will illuminate the long-quiet Beijing Olympic Flag-Raising Square, breathing new energy into this somewhat enigmatic location. Over the course of seven nights, the latest and most exhilarating sports documentaries from China and abroad will be shown, creating an “unbridled night” through diverse sporting themes, delivering a summer evening carnival that stuns the senses and touches the soul.

    The 9th Beijing International Sports Film Week Red Bull Open-Air Cinema is an outdoor film event jointly organized by Red Bull and the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, and marks the first time an outdoor screening section has been included in the Beijing International Sports Film Week. With the theme “Unbridled Night,” the event aims to showcase the allure of sports, humanistic spirit, and a free-spirited lifestyle. To make it easier for sports enthusiasts to enjoy outstanding sports documentaries, Red Bull specially created the unique format of an “open-air cinema.”
    Watching movies under the open sky was once a childhood memory for many, though it gradually faded with age. In recent years, open-air movie screenings have reappeared in many major cities, but most are organized spontaneously by communities on a small scale. Leveraging a professional organizing and management team, the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema offers the public a brand-new experience. From 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM every evening from the 11th to the 17th, 500 audience members on-site can experience the joy of sports through the films, while also enjoying performances by bands, BMX bikers, bicycle climbers, and more, with opportunities to participate in interactions via Weibo and win prizes.
    It’s worth mentioning that the arrival of the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema will largely revive the Olympic Flag-Raising Square. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, this site played a significant role as the ceremonial venue for welcoming delegations from various countries and regions into the Olympic Village, with the flags of 204 nations and regions flying overhead. After the Olympics, the flag-raising square remained closed to the public and was never opened, shrouded in mystery—it couldn’t even be found on maps. The Red Bull Open-Air Cinema will take everyone to the northeast corner of the intersection of Lincui Road and Kehui Road to truly get to know the Olympic Flag-Raising Square.
    In this unique venue, there will undoubtedly be an extraordinary experience. For seven consecutive days, the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema will screen documentaries on seven different sports themes: sailing, surfing, wingsuit flying, cycling, parkour, racing, and skiing. Audiences can watch top-tier domestic and international sports documentaries such as Odyssey of the Sea, Heaven’s Gate, and Wheelman.
    On the opening day of the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema on August 11, sailing adventurer Guo Chuan will be present for the premiere of Odyssey of the Sea and will engage in an in-depth discussion with the host, sharing lesser-known stories of his sailing experiences. Odyssey of the Sea exclusively documents the entire journey of Guo Chuan single-handedly completing a non-stop global voyage in a 40-foot sailboat, with many scenes filmed by Guo Chuan himself. On the closing night of the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema on August 17, the documentary Heaven’s Gate, which follows wingsuit flying master Jeb Corliss as he flies through Zhangjiajie’s Heaven’s Gate, will be screened. Xu Kai, China’s first wingsuit pilot, will also be on-site to share his experience of flying through the air.