Last week, I went to the Electric Cinema in Notting Hill to watch Notting Hill. Which, on paper, sounds almost ridiculous. Watching a romcom I’ve already seen, in the exact neighbourhood where it’s set, didn’t feel like something that would count as “research.” It wasn’t a lecture, it wasn’t a book, and it definitely wasn’t productive in the traditional academic sense.
But it stayed with me.
I think what made it special wasn’t the film itself, but the atmosphere of the cinema. The Electric Cinema is one of the oldest cinemas in London, and it feels very different from watching something at home or on a laptop. You sit in these soft seats, there are small lamps next to you, people eat burgers and fries. It sounds like a small detail, but it made me realise how rarely I watch something with my full attention. No phone, no distractions, no multitasking. Just sitting there and watching.
I’ve loved Notting Hill for years, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I experienced a film like that by not just watching it, but really being present with it. The atmosphere allowed me to focus differently. It made me think about how much our surroundings shape the way we experience things.
What was also interesting was the contrast between the inside and outside. Notting Hill, especially around Portobello Road, feels very chaotic. It’s full of tourists, noise, and constant movement. But inside the cinema, there was this quiet fictional version of the same place. For two hours, you leave the real Notting Hill and enter a constructed one. And even though you know it’s fiction, it still feels real in its own way.
This made me think about my thesis and my interest in chaos. Outside, there is uncontrolled chaos, random, overwhelming, and hard to fully process. Inside the cinema, there is a different kind of structure. Everything is intentional. The story, the timing, the emotions are carefully directed. It’s not necessarily less real, but it’s organised in a way that allows you to engage with it more deeply.
I think working on a thesis is not only about reading books or sitting in libraries. It’s also about paying attention to experiences and noticing how context changes perception. The same film can feel completely different depending on where and how you watch it.
This visit reminded me that atmosphere, environment, and attention all play a role in how meaning is created. And maybe part of my research is learning to notice these moments more consciously.
Links:
https://www.electriccinema.co.uk/history/electric-cinema-portobello-history
https://www.imdb.com/de/title/tt0125439/
