In Rome this summer, to escape the heat you can walk into a cinema without buying a ticket. From 23 July to 4 August, eleven venues across the city will offer free screenings between 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., precisely during the hours when the outside temperature becomes hardest to bear.
The initiative has been named Il Grande Freddo — after Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 film — and forms part of the heat action plan presented by mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Entry will be permitted until seats run out. Every day all participating venues will screen the same title; the first will be C'è ancora domani, the film by Paola Cortellesi released in 2023.
The stated aim is not simply to offer a free cultural programme. The venues are meant to function as cool spaces where people can spend a few hours — above all those who live alone, are more vulnerable to high temperatures, or don't own air conditioning. The cinemas join Rome's existing network of climate shelters, which already includes libraries and museums.
When the programme was announced, temperatures in Rome were forecast to reach 36 degrees. In many European cities, air-conditioned public spaces are taking on a similar role: they are no longer just places to read, look at a painting or watch a film, but infrastructure where people can take shelter for a few hours.
In Rome, then, you will be able to walk into a cinema without knowing what's showing and without necessarily wanting to see a film. On certain afternoons the most important genre won't be comedy or drama: it will be air conditioning.
