From August 11 to 17, the inaugural 2013 Red Bull Open-Air Cinema (Redbull Outdoor Cinema) will light up the long-quiet Beijing Olympic Flag-Raising Square, reinvigorating this somewhat enigmatic venue with sporting passion. Over the course of seven nights, the latest and most exhilarating domestic and international sports documentaries will be shown, creating a “wild night” through diverse sporting themes, delivering a summer evening carnival that dazzles the senses and touches the soul.
The 9th Beijing International Sports Film Week’s Red Bull Open-Air Cinema is an outdoor film screening event jointly organized by Red Bull and the Beijing Olympic City Development Association, and also marks the first time an outdoor screening section has been included in the Beijing International Sports Film Week. With the theme “Wild Night,” the event aims to showcase the charm 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 stars was once a childhood memory for many, though it gradually faded with age. In recent years, open-air movie events have re-emerged in many major cities, but most are organized spontaneously by communities and are limited in scale. Leveraging professional organization and management, the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema offers the public a brand-new experience. From 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM each evening from the 11th to the 17th, 500 audience members can experience the joy of sports through the films, while also enjoying performances by bands, BMX biking, bicycle trials, and more. They can also participate in interactions via Weibo and other channels to 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 area where delegations from various countries and regions were welcomed into the Olympic Village, with flags from 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 lead everyone to the northeast corner of the intersection of Lincai Road and Kehui Road, to truly discover the Olympic Flag-Raising Square.
In this unique venue, there will undoubtedly be extraordinary experiences. For seven consecutive days, the Red Bull Open-Air Cinema will screen documentaries on seven sporting themes—sailing, surfing, wingsuit flying, cycling, parkour, racing, and skiing. Audiences will be able to watch top-tier domestic and international sports documentaries such as “Odyssey of the Sea,” “Heaven’s Gate,” and “Wheelchair Unbound.”
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 tales of his sailing journeys. “Odyssey of the Sea” exclusively documents the full process of Guo Chuan’s solo, non-stop global voyage in a 40-foot sailboat, with many scenes filmed by Guo 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 Tianmen Mountain, will be screened. Xu Kai, China’s first wingsuit flyer, will also be on hand to share his experiences of flying through the air.