Last night, I traded a regular night in Porto for something much more cinematic: an open-air movie screening at WOW, World of Wine, with Cine Society. And the evening started before the movie even began...
I made my way from Jardim do Morro, crossing over to the Gaia side, and the walk itself felt like part of the experience. The city stretching along the Douro, the terracotta rooftops, the river catching the last light of the day—it is a pretty spectacular backdrop for a night at the movies.
Cine Society's outdoor cinema at WOW is set high above the Douro, surrounded by the historic Port wine warehouses and the views that make this part of Gaia so special. By the time I arrived, the sun was going down, the atmosphere was already buzzing and it felt like the perfect kind of summer night: good weather, a beautiful location and a movie I've loved for years.
Porto, popcorn and Ferris Bueller. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening.
The movie of the night was Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), directed by John Hughes and starring Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara and Alan Ruck.
I grew up watching movies like this and somehow, even though I wasn't actually growing up in 1980s America, they became part of my own childhood imagination. Ferris Bueller's Day Off takes me straight back to summer days at my grandmother's house.
I grew up watching movies like this and somehow, even though I wasn't actually growing up in 1980s America, they became part of my own childhood imagination. Ferris Bueller's Day Off takes me straight back to summer days at my grandmother's house.
There is something about certain movies that goes far beyond the story itself. You remember where you were, who you watched them with, the feeling of those afternoons and the particular kind of freedom that seems to belong to childhood summers. Watching Ferris, Cameron and Sloane take over Chicago again, this time under the Porto night sky, brought all of that back.
I've always had a particular soft spot for John Hughes movies. His films captured something about teenage life, friendship, romance, rebellion and those strange years when everything feels simultaneously very important and completely ridiculous. And I actually wrote about my love for his movies years ago here on Theriz Journal.
Even Charlie Sheen showed up :)
Back in 2015, I published my 80s-inspired movie guide, “1984,” looking back at the films, music, fashion and unmistakable atmosphere of the decade. I wrote about the John Hughes universe, including Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club and, of course, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
This also wasn't my first time turning a summer evening into a movie night under the sky. Years ago, when I was living in New York, I went to an outdoor rooftop screening at Pier 17 in downtown Manhattan with friends. The movie that night was You've Got Mail, starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks—another film that holds a very special place in my heart. I wrote about that evening here on Theriz Journal in “Me, Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks at Pier 17.”
That night had a completely different energy: Manhattan, a rooftop, the city lights and You've Got Mail playing under the summer sky. Now, years later, I'm in Porto, sitting above the Douro with popcorn in hand, watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Different city. Different movie. Different chapter. Same love for cinema.
If you’re in Porto or Lisbon, I highly recommend checking out Cine Society’s upcoming screenings and turning a regular evening into a little cinematic escape. The programme includes a wonderful mix of classics, cult favourites and newer films, with screenings across different outdoor venues in both cities.
Check the Cine Society programme and upcoming dates, choose your city, pick a movie you love—or perhaps one you’ve never seen—and go experience it for yourself. Bring someone you love, arrive early for the atmosphere, get the popcorn, and let the city become part of the movie.
Love,
Theriz
xx
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