The Phenomena cinema was born out of film director and curator Nacho Cerdà’s passion for classic cinema. In 2010, he launched a series of special screenings at Barcelona’s Cine Urgel, showcasing 35mm and 70mm film prints, which quickly attracted a dedicated following. To keep that experience alive, in 2014 he took over the old Napoleon cinema, transforming it into what is now the Phenomena Experience Cinema. It officially opened on December 19, with Raiders of the Lost Ark as its inaugural screening.


Phenomena’s mission is to revive the golden age of cinema. It not only screens classic Hollywood and European films, but also embraces genres like B-movies, horror, and sci-fi. The cinema regularly hosts director retrospectives, late-night cult film screenings, and double features. Equipped with 35mm and 70mm projectors, a 4K digital system, and Dolby Atmos sound, Phenomena aims to deliver a top-tier audiovisual experience. Today, it stands as a cultural landmark in Barcelona, drawing cinephiles from around the world to experience the magic of the big screen.

When it comes to Phenomena, it truly is one of the few spiritual homes for film lovers in Barcelona. Its programming is diverse enough to satisfy audiences used to frequenting indie cinemas like Beijing’s Xiaoxitian — myself included. Ticket prices are quite reasonable, and the films are almost always screened in their original language with Spanish subtitles. While this isn’t the mainstream way locals watch movies, it’s clearly more suitable for Chinese cinephiles.


Speaking of Phenomena, it’s worth noting that this place looks quite different from another Barcelona art-house cinema with a similar name. From the outside, it doesn’t have that classic Broadway-style design — if you didn’t do your research beforehand, you might easily mistake it for a regular neighborhood bar.

🪩 Zuimeg:

Once inside, there’s a small entrance area with a few movie posters on display — including Afternoon Clouds, the film I came to see. Other posters included The Trial of Frida and more — all films showing at the cinema that week.

As for their screenings, I’ve been following their Instagram for a while and noticed that they program about five or six films a week. One that I’ve been meaning to see, A Journey in Spring, is also on their schedule. Hong Sang-soo’s latest film, A Traveler’s Needs, is also set to premiere here soon. Judging by their recent lineup, it’s clear that their curation leans heavily toward art-house films. And because they cater to this niche, they almost never show dubbed versions — everything is screened in the original language.

Like Phenomena, this venue also has a single-screen layout. After passing through the foyer, there are two restrooms (a rather odd layout), and only then do you reach the ticket counter and screening room.

Inside, you’ll notice that the cinema shares a space with the neighboring unit — walk past a row of seats and you’ll find Zumzeig, a bar with the same name as the cinema. I didn’t try the food, but it didn’t seem much different from an average bar in Barcelona.