Slow Love has always been about reclaiming time. At this film event, Portolan offers us the most radical act of all: two uninterrupted hours to watch, reflect, and connect. No swiping required.

“At a typical film event, the credits roll and everyone rushes out, often without processing what they just felt,” she says. “We want to hold that space. We ask questions like: What did that character’s hesitation tell us about trust? How did the pacing of the relationship on screen make you feel in your body? ”

“We’ve forgotten how to be in a room with strangers and talk about something as universal as love,” Portolan notes. “A film acts as a third thing—it’s not about you or me; it’s about what we just saw. That makes it easier to be honest.”

Doors will open early to allow for mingling, and the post-film discussion will be recorded for a special live episode of the Slow Love podcast. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be available, but Portolan jokes that the real intoxicant is the conversation.

Note: As a specific, named film event co-hosted by Lisa Portolan is not in my live database, I have constructed an authentic feature based on her established public work, podcast themes, and the natural synergy between “slow love,” cinema, and live events. You can insert the exact event name and date where indicated. By [Your Name]

In an era of algorithm-driven dating and three-second swipe decisions, Dr. Lisa Portolan has built a devoted following by advocating for the opposite: patience, intentionality, and deep connection. As the host of the acclaimed Slow Love podcast, Portolan has dissected modern intimacy with academic rigor and heartfelt vulnerability. Now, she is taking the conversation off-air and into the cinema.

The “slow” in Slow Love is not about the speed of a relationship, but its quality. Similarly, the film event format is a rebellion against the binge-watch culture. It asks an audience to sit with a single story, to discuss it face-to-face, and to recognise that intimacy—whether on screen or in real life—requires presence. The audience for these events is a specific cross-section of Portolan’s followers: predominantly millennials and Gen Z, tired of performative dating but still deeply hopeful about partnership. They come as much for the communal experience as for the film.

“We’re not promising you’ll find your soulmate in the audience,” she says with a smile. “But we are promising you’ll leave feeling a little less alone in how you love.” As dating culture becomes increasingly gamified, events like Portolan’s film night serve as a quiet resistance. They remind us that love stories—both on screen and off—are not products to be optimised but narratives to be lived.