Zurich: Orange Cinema

Last night J and I went to watch a movie outside at the Orange Cinema on the lakeside. We had no idea how awesome it would be! Orange Cinema is definitely less about the movie and more about the whole experience. Photos and more after the jump.

As soon as you go through the entrance, it's a mad dash to reserve a good seat. They hand out these clapperboard cards and you write your name on it and put it over your seat. The doors open two and a half hours before the show starts, but that's no problem because there is plenty to do in the meantime.

We got seats in the super comfortable reclined lounger chairs down in the front section, but not too close. Then we headed over to the bar for an Aperol Spritz.

Everywhere you go in the summer, you see people drinking these in Zurich. Nothing says summer like the bright color and bubbles of an Aperol Spritz!

It was so nice to have a long conversation and time to focus on each other. Naturally we talked a bit about Coco, but we also had a great time talking about other stuff. It was the best conversation we'd had in months!

We sat at the top of the stairs and took in the spectacular scene. It's so amazing that this entire outdoor cinema is temporary and recreated every summer. It is such a cool, chic summer experience.

As night began to fall it was time for the show to begin and the place took on a new feel.

Then snippets of songs began playing loudly to signal everyone to find their seats.

We got all settled in with our blankets and waited for the show to begin!

Then the moon rose up over the lake and it was gorgeous in the twilight and the crowd was buzzing with anticipation.

Then the screen came up and the view of the lake all around was stunning!

I was so surprised at how great the sound was considering we were sitting outside under the stars. A few times during the show, we saw lightning in the distance. It was amazing!

We saw Moonlight Kingdom and although we love most of Wes Anderson's films, we thought it was just so-so. Luckily, the Swiss prefer to watch films in their original language. At first, it's a bit distracting that there are German and French subtitles, but after a while you don't even see them anymore!

By the time the credits were rolling, the moon was shining brightly high in the sky and it was time for us to walk home. We will definitely make Orange Cinema part of our summer every year that we are in Zurich. It was completely rad! Have you been to Orange Cinema? Do you have an outdoor theater where you live?