Cheshire cats from down under

Ghita Loebenstein and Keith Deverell from Melbourne met us on a flying visit in Berlin.

Ghita is the driving force beyond Speakeasy Cinema, a like-minded spot that crosses a big screen with a dive bar, a cafe and a creative studio. It’s inspired partly by Austin’s Alamo Drafthouses, partly by the best of Melbourne’s lo-fi drinking dens, and partly by the risk-everything attitude of 1920s saloon keep Mary Louise Cecilia “Texas” Guinan, who had never heard of a cup holder. It’s not illegal, but it is worth keeping to yourself. 

Launched in 2009, Speakeasy screens at various locations around Melbourne’s inner city. The program is focused on the weird, the wonderful and the hard-to-find, sometimes screening titles that don’t make it to local cinemas at all. In the vaudeville spirit of the speakeasy, you might also catch a director Q&A, a short film or, if you’re early, a spot on Texas Guinan’s knee. In short, the place to be.

Keith is an Australian/UK artist and designer whose work spans video art, sound/image installation and performance. Together with Sue McCauley  he established the arts studio Greyspace. They produce installation works, sound and image performances, and collaborative community-based projects, In their work together, they explore forms of networked video, installation, and collaboration.