X-Ray Cafe was an all ages nightclub in Portland, Oregon that housed a wild variety of events such as bands, art projects, classes and workshops, sewing circles, poetry nights… the list goes on. But the cafe only lasted until 1994 due to a riot and, the usual story for anything good and independently run, lack of funds. Because this doc is directed by one of the owners of the club, it appears to be a vehicle for reminiscing with friends about the great thing they once had, but that feeling doesn’t last long. In the end the story made me lament a time where creativity used to be about community rather than competition.
Ben Ellis, Microcosm Publishing, 222 S Rogers St., Bloomington, IN 47404, USA, microcosmpublishing.com, kwali-t.com/xray/index.html