Secret Sydney: Underground Cinema presents La Guerre

TELEGRAMME URGENT

Ils arrivent. Nous devons agir rapidement, mes frères et sœurs. Le temps est essentiel. hâte maintenant. Vive La Résistance!

The message simply said to act quickly, and to make haste. That last sentence about the Resistance was our only clue as to what was coming. The only other pieces of information we had was that we would have to wear our best 1940s outfits, and bring something to trade. This was our invitation to Underground Cinema’s latest venture, La Guerre, a secret cinema experience that immersed audiences in a fabulous, alternate reality world.

Underground Cinema

Two days before the event we were given instructions to meet members of the Resistance at the Wild Rover, someone who would help us “leave the capital.” This clandestine meeting would be short, private and very secret. I selected a time block and, following instructions, made sure I wasn’t followed. In the Wild Rover, small groups of people huddling over drinks suddenly became suspect. Single drinkers walking through the door hesitated, pausing to glance over the bar.

Who was I meeting? There were clues – a woman with victory curls, smiling, saying hello to everyone, alone except for a friend in a red beret. I sidled up to her and, lowering my voice, whispered the password, “Francois est mort.” She glanced up, looked around and said so only I could hear, “Go to Maxine, by the stairs. Tell her Laura sent you. Quickly.” And she was gone, swallowed by the crowds.

Punters dressed up for Underground Cinema La Guerre

 

Up the stairs, herded by Maxine, who impressed on us the urgency and seriousness of the whole business – “we are risking our lives for you!” – then passed us off to Josephine, who, watching us by the light of a candle by the open window, scribbled down our next steps.

The Blue Parrot. 1735. Meet Eva.

“Don’t be late, and bring something to trade,” she reminded us as she waved off our grateful merci’s.

Belly dancer at Chez Josephine

On the day of the event, a text message revealed the secret location. The theme was obviously Paris, and World War II and the Resistance, but what was the movie? At this point I still had no clue. So dressed in my best vintage Lanvin teadress, Mary Janes and a half hearted attempt at curls in my hair, off I went…

Sultry singer entertaining the crowd

…to be greeted at the door by a handsome gendarme, his black eyes twinkling, saying “Bon soir” to everyone. And a green parrot, calmly eating nuts fed by the hand. And people wearing fezzes, dark red and balanced precariously on heads bobbing through the crowds. An imperious woman in satiny, big skirts walked past, her hips swishing. A rug seller enticed buyers with his carpets. Further down, a belly dancer entertained the crowd, who was drinking cocktails out of teapots and cups. A shisha vendor plied his wares, the warm coals on the pipes glowing in the dim hall. Wreathes of smoke mingled with the sound of singing, and the smell of apple tobacco hung in the air.

At 7:35pm sharp I made my way to the Blue Parrot Cafe to meet Eva. We spoke at length about the help she could give me, and then in exchange for the block of Lindt chocolate I had brought to trade, she told me to speak to someone else, for she did not have what we wanted.

She *may* be able to help you obtain transit papers

“At the Cafe Americain, ask for Svetlana. She may be able to help you. Don’t approach me again. I mustn’t be seen speaking to you.”

Shrill whistles pierce the air and the sultry songstress stops abruptly. “It’s a raid!” she says as she hurries off stage . We are hurried out in the sharp, cold night air, a sudden reminder of the real world outside the fantasy within. I see Eva, and Hasseem, the carpet seller, as they herd us in small groups up along quiet streets. “Hurry! To Rick’s Cafe Americain!”

Fancy some roulette at Rick’s?

Our final destination is the gorgeous, art decor confines of Randwick Ritz, done up with a live two-piece band, roulette tables and a well stocked bar, subbing in for Rick’s Cafe Americain. After a drink from the bar, a turn on the roulette tables and a disappointing conversation with Svetlana, who makes off with the last of our chocolate but with no transit papers to give us, the pieces finally fall into place. The fez. The belly dancer. The shisha pipes. Paris. The war. Transit papers. We’re in Casablanca.

The curtain goes up. Credits roll and the audience applauds. Here’s looking at you, kid.

Casablanca

Underground Cinema hosts secret film screenings in secret locations. They offer an immersive experience in the world of the film before screening begins. Actors dressed up and in character offer the audience a chance to mix and mingle, blurring the lines between performance and participation. Underground Cinema hasn’t yet announced their next screening, but tickets sell out fast when it does happen, so if you’re interested sign up for their newsletter!