Stories from Deli

AND GOOD NIGHT

CATHAY is the best cinema in Medan. Saturday night I mean! To be there in the Amsterdam concert building. Planter, board officer or Deli employee, with immaculate white suits come together.

Cathay is a very friendly cinema. All movie theatres in this city are friendly. The place card states that people are kindly requested to sit at the indicated place. The first advertisement advertisement slide (here too the white woman gives the advertisement) gives you a friendly welcome. You do not sit there with your knees folded against your chin, but you can lie comfortably underneath in your chair. It is cool, one can smoke everywhere, and the kissing end slides: please make sure not to forget anything and goodnight.

That evening Schumann’s piano concert was playing. I forgot the title and the story, which was also of less importance. It was a great world of music and culture. Schumann Piano Concerto 1. Music from him. van Liszt, van Brahms, in the middle of the first circles of the 19th century. Few will have seen these films like us. Because you always try to cover up the raw reality under all the beauty, all the pleasant things that the make-believe world of the film of the city still want to give during your leave. We will! take half a year before we return to Medan. (Dagblad se Stem, 7 Juni 1949)