Campina Grande, Brazil: Report from the 1st Fair of Zines and Libertarian Material

Campina Grande, Brazil: Report from the 1st Fair of Zines and Libertarian Material

As those that live in Campina Grande already know, the Cine São José was an important cinema-theater of the city, that ended its activities back in the 70s; it was preserved as an historical heritage, stayed abandoned until 2010, when it was occupied by students and the artistic-cultural movement of the city. Many activities were realized in the spaces of the old cinema during the year of the occupation, but due to various factors the space ended up almost in no use in 2011. This year, activities were launched once again and a Fair of Zines and Libertarian Material was set for March 2012.

The occupation of the cinema has always been an open space, without bureaucracies and free for all kind of activities of counter-attack or cultural fomentation. The idea about the zine-fair was something that me (V), alongside with L., A., and others, came up with after some time of talking and that had been left aside, for a future to come, due to other events that were emerging. Well, in February, the hunger finally met the will to eat, and the Heresia Collective decided to liven up the cinema with this fair. Besides the fair, we decided to produce a zine and launch it that day, distribute plant seedlings, make some graffiti, workshop of stencil and in order to have a more direct dialogue we sat together and exchanged ideas about urban occupation.

Given that the date was marked for March 31, the last Saturday of the month, we started to retake some action in the occupation. What we found out was that the cinema had been neglected by the very same members of the movement that had used the building for the last time on December of the previous year and had left it in a pitiful state. We turned that page. The Cine São José was once again alive. Reunions, conversations, productions, cleaning, talking with the neighbors and passersby, who were always stopping to ask about the old cinema, thus showing their support to the squat. More »