Today, January 2nd, Cinema Trindade in Porto will host a special screening of the documentary short film Stop. Rehearsal Rooms for a Historical Materialism, directed by Jorge Quintela. The film, which had its premiere at the 2024 edition of Porto/Post/Doc, will be shown at 7:30 PM, followed by a Q&A session with the director and Rodrigo Affreixo.

With a critical and reflective approach, the film explores the transformation of the STOP Shopping Centre in Bonfim, Porto, over the decades. This iconic space, which for over 20 years has served as a rehearsal and incubation venue for Porto’s music scene, is examined through the lens of Walter Benjamin’s materialist critique, particularly from his Arcades Project. Stop also documents the events of July 2023, when the space was subject to a police eviction, leading to the closure of its rehearsal rooms and leaving the future of one of Porto’s last bastions of independent art uncertain.