‘Noooo! Stop! Stop! Stop!’
As usual, the lights in the cinema dim, but one of the visitors in the sold-out theatre objects. The reason is simple: this Saturday morning at half past ten, the Kijkhuis is packed with women who have come not only to watch a film, but also to knit jumpers, tops and scarves.
There is a real sense of excitement in the theatre during the first edition of the Leiden Knitting Cinema, partly because of the film that is being screened: Wuthering Heights, which premiered the day before.
‘Yeaah’, is the reaction during the first scene, in which three knitting women appear on screen. ‘They’re knitting!’
Visitors’ up-dos are adorned with home-made pink bows, an ode to the abundance of ribbons and bows featured in the film. The film boasts a whirlwind of costumes, with lead actress Margot Robbie decked out like a Barbie doll in a plethora of beautiful gowns.
‘When I couldn’t sleep last night, I was thinking about the fifty costumes designed for her to wear in this film’, says organiser Jasmijn Bom. ‘That’s when I suddenly realised that she wears a new outfit every three minutes.’
The lights in the theatre are not fully dimmed. In the half-light, you can just about make out balls of wool, knitting needles, yarn and embroidery needles (because some are embroidering too). The viewers’ heads move up and down between the screen and the project on their laps. The more experienced knitters just keep their eyes on the screen. During the explicit sex scenes, the clicking of knitting needles briefly pauses.
Although handicrafts used to be mainly associated with the elderly, the Knitting Cinema also attracts students. ‘I’m a budding knitter’, says Media and Culture student Deva van Aken. ‘I practised specifically so that I wouldn’t have to look at my knitting work too often. Also as preparation, I’ve already attended the film’s premiere. So I knew in advance which parts I found boring, which meant I could concentrate on the difficult parts of my project during those moments.’
At crafts shop Meet & Make, they have also noticed that handicrafts are popular among students. ‘I’ve noticed that many students took it up during the pandemic, says staff member Sigrid Jansen. ‘I do notice that students tend to crochet more than knit. Their learning curve is very different from that of older generations’, says Jansen. ‘They approach things like Pippi Longstocking, in the sense that they think: “I’ve never tried that before, so I think I should definitely be able to do that.” Students watch a tutorial video and just get started, whereas older people prefer working with a pattern and want you to show them how to do it many times.’
The film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name sparked controversy: according to critics, director Emerald Fennell only loosely adapted the story and left out prominent themes such as racism.
‘I already suspected that I wouldn’t like this film very much’, says mathematics student Loes de Vette (25). ‘That’s why I think it’s brilliant to have something to do during such a crap film.’
The next edition of the Knitting Cinema will screen the costume drama Emma (2020). Kijkhuis, 18 April