I film di Devon House

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Some stories are too good to end after just one season. Following last year’s success, we’ve decided to return to telling love stories—or, better yet, Stories of Love. In the plural. New films, the same desire to move you.

Starting July 9, we’ll embark on a journey through eight films that explore love in all its infinite shades: passionate and sensual, young and mature, paternal, lost or never truly existed, ambiguous—even across genders. Eight different stories, set in eras and contexts far removed from one another, yet united by a common thread: the extraordinary complexity of human emotions.

The screenings will take place throughout July and August, always on Thursdays.

A special spot will be reserved for “Metropolis,” a true masterpiece of cinema history, which inspired a performance conceived by Milena and Dorotea Crameri for the Opera Baltica in Gdańsk, Poland. They will speak about it themselves on August 6.

Weather permitting, we’ll gather in the garden of Devon House. If the weather isn’t on our side, we’ll move to the movie theater set up in the barn. Outdoors, seating is unlimited; in the barn, however, seating is necessarily limited. For this reason, we recommend that you reserve your spot by emailing devonhouse@bluewin.ch.

Summer evenings can hold a few surprises: a jacket or a blanket will make the screening even more enjoyable.

We look forward to seeing you there, ready to be surprised by eight new ways of portraying love.

Program: https://valposchiavo.ch/it/esperienze/cultura-e-arte/agenda-valposchiavo/cinema-allaperto-devon-house


DEVON HOUSE FILMS

The film club was founded in 2009 following the closure of the historic Cinema Rio in Poschiavo. Since then, the club has offered a varied summer program featuring films from diverse origins and eras that fall outside the mainstream. Screenings take place in the garden or (in case of bad weather) in the barn at DEVON HOUSE, a building constructed in the mid-19th century in the neighborhood known as I Palazz in Poschiavo. In the fall, winter, and spring, shorter, thematically grouped film series and children’s films are scheduled in the barn or in the Hall of Mirrors on the first floor. Each event aims to surprise and engage the audience in a unique setting. The films are screened in their original language or with Italian subtitles. Afterward, light refreshments provide an opportunity to exchange ideas.


DEVON HOUSE AND ITS HISTORY

The inscription “Devon House” next to the main entrance dates back to 1908 and was added by Domenico Semadeni, who at the time ran a “Swiss Café” in Ilfracombe, a renowned seaside resort in the county of Devon (England). Like other families from Poschiavo—mostly Protestant—who had established a network of renowned cafés, pastry shops, and confectioneries throughout Europe and Russia during the 19th century, the Semadenis also invested part of their fortune in a prestigious residence, land, and securities in the valley. The house had been built as early as 1864 on behalf of Pietro Pozzi, who also ran a successful “Café Suizo” in Bilbao, Spain. This glorious period in Poschiavo’s history is still commemorated today by numerous signs in various cities, such as “Café Suizo,” “Pasteleria Bernina,” “Swiss Café & Bakery,” “Café Suisse,” “Kafe Fankony,” and “кафе Семадені,” among others.

The neighborhood was built in the second half of the 19th century by the then Podestà Tommaso Lardelli and the Vicenza-born architect Giovanni Sottovia, who had come to Poschiavo at the invitation of several local merchants: a street flanked on one side by elegant houses in the eclectic style, which was in vogue at the time. On the opposite side of the street lie vegetable gardens, gardens, and orchards, graced by pavilions. The ensemble of buildings reflects the innovative and health-conscious residential culture of the era.

The Palazz are a unique example of urban residential culture in the Alpine region. They are listed in both the Federal Inventory of Swiss Sites of National Importance (ISOS) and the List of Historic Gardens and Sites in Switzerland (ICOMOS). Nearly all of the buildings are protected by the canton and the Swiss Confederation.